The Tasmanian Devil
by redheadvampiress
Summary: Second of "Chronicles of Affection." LeoXOC, RafXOC. Rated for violence, harsh language, and adult stuff. When busting an illegal fighting operation, Raf meets the illusive Tasmanian Devil. But can even his fire melt a heart so frozen? Complete!
1. Chapter 1: Love's Sweet Bliss

**Guess who's back? Back again? Abster's back, tell your friends! Oh yeah, kiddos, the redhead is back in town, back with a brand new story! (stands proudly to immense applause) Yes, thank you, thank you. (bows). Okay, getting off my soapbox now before my already big head gets any bigger. **

**Disclaimer: This will be the only one for story, just cause it gets annoying to have to type it over and over again. I don't own the TMNT, but I do own A.J., Sasha, The Underground, and the plot.**

**On with the show!**

Leo lay on his side, the tips of his three fingers stroking the smooth, bare skin of her back. She was sound asleep in the bed next to him, soft, red hair glowing in the candlelight, worn out from the events of three hours before. He couldn't believe this was happening. His A.J., his quiet, shy, reserved little redhead, had finally let go of her fear, brought down her walls, and opened herself up to him.

He rolled over onto his back and tucked his hands behind his head, thinking. It had been difficult at first. Though he had not pressured her, and despite several hints that she would like nothing better than to make love to him, she was still frightened, and blushed horribly whenever one of these hints came out of her mouth. She was terrified of the idea, though he couldn't say he blamed her. Her introduction to sex had been the cruelest thing he and his brothers had ever come across. To this day, they had never encountered anything that rivaled its monstrosity, and this was something that had not been caused by monsters or creatures from outer space, but humans. After being beaten, raped, starved, and kept prisoner in a filthy cell for nearly three months, she had finally been taken to a back alleyway and shot, left to bleed to death while she was unconscious and unable to call for help. Fortunately for her, the turtles had discovered her body about five minutes after the attack, and were able to get her back to their lair in time to save her life. They dressed her wounds and nursed her back to health until she had recovered her strength. She told them what had happened to her, and all four of them had been furious, setting out to avenge her, effectively shutting down The Orphan Train, as the operation had been called. They saved about twelve other women, though two had died later in the hospital, and sent two of its founders to Death Row, where they awaited execution. Thanks to the testimony of A.J. and many others, as well as several DNA samples, the evidence was overwhelming, and the case was over and done with in a little over a month.

This time, justice was swift.

In the meantime, their relationship had developed, growing closer and closer to each other. But for the longest time, she remained scared and self conscious. He took care not to pressure her, but every time the subject came up, she refused. Then, when he had been ready to give up completely, she changed her mind. It had only been a few hours ago, and it had gone something like this…

* * *

_Three hours earlier…_

About two weeks after their victory party, when the air had a distinct winter's bite, there was snow on the ground and Christmas lights were on nearly every house, Leo and his A.J. had been curled up, snug and warm on his bed, laughing at the pictures they had taken with her digital camera of that night.

"Ooh, I like that one," she was saying, staring at a picture of Mikey sound asleep with his mouth open on the couch. "Who took it?"

"Guilty," Leo confessed. She flipped though a couple more, one of Raf snarling at the camera, probably because Mikey was the one behind it, and another of Donny, trying to balance his root beer float on his nose. He had actually managed to do it for a minute, but then it had come tumbling down to get all over him. He'd been horribly embarrassed as he cleaned it up, and A.J. felt it was probably better than she not develop the picture she'd taken of his panicked face as the cup fell from his nose. She'd kept it on her computer, just to have something to laugh about when times, homework, and parents got tough.

They came to the picture that Donny had taken, the very first one of the evening, a moment neither one of them were sure to forget. Standing at the top of their staircase, arms around each other, so lost in their kiss that they hadn't even noticed that someone had taken a picture, Leo and A.J. were bent over like a romantic kiss shot in a fairy-tale or a really cheesy old film. Upon seeing this, Leo flushed deeply.

"Oh wow, who took that?"

"I'll bet that was one of your brothers. Probably Donny, because he had the camera first."

"Ooh, I'll get him for that," he muttered, visions of him pounding his brother into the dojo floor already running through his mind.

"No don't," she whined, pushing his shoulder gently with hers. "I think it's cute. Aside from the fact that my hair looks really, really stupid."

She'd pulled all of it back and twisted it into a bun on the back of her head, in order to look professional and grown-up for her court appearance that she'd had that day. She hated looking stuffy and important, but Leo didn't think she looked stupid at all. In fact, he thought she looked very elegant and sophisticated.

"It does not look stupid," he said, reaching up to run his fingers through it. She'd gotten it cut a few days ago, and it was about as short as had been the very first night he'd ever seen her, singing "Holding out for a Hero" for a school talent show, more than a year and a half ago. She'd also told them that she'd switched to a new type of shampoo and conditioner that was supposed to be better for her hair. She said that it seemed softer to her, but Leo didn't notice any difference. To him, she would always be beautiful, no matter what she did.

"I think it looks beautiful," he told her. "As always."

She blushed.

"You're too nice to me."

"Would you I rather me be mean to you, like Raf?"

He'd meant it as a joke. He knew that his brother would be just as sweet and gentle to her as he was if she had been dating him, for while he came off as gruff and a little crude at times, he had a heart beating under his plastron, a heart just as capable of love as Leo's.

She shook her head, blushing even more.

"I like it when you're nice to me."

He put his arm around her waist, drawing her against him until the warmth of her body stoked his.

"Well good, because I like being nice to you."

They kissed, and once again, he felt he would drown in her, the softness of her lips enough to make him weak, even though he was stretched out on his stomach on his bed. He shifted to press even closer to her, and he could feel her heartbeat beginning to speed up. His did the same, in perfect time with hers, excitement welling up inside him. He could feel his lust, the feeling she was so afraid of, begin to rise, but he struggled to control it, knowing that he couldn't let it get control of him. It was hard; they were alone, in his room, on his bed, the setting perfect. The only thing he needed was her consent, which was exactly why he needed to control himself, knowing that if he didn't, he could end up hurting her, and doing something he would regret.

Their kiss broke, and she took a breath. Opening her eyes, she took the pile of pictures in her hands and put it down on the ground, crawling up to lean against the wall at the head of his bed. He followed her, and she smiled as he put his arms around her.

"I'm so lucky to have you," she said, her face turning as red as her hair. "You're so sweet, and you don't beat me up, or treat me like I'm a pretty piece of something to show off to your friends, or in this case, your brothers."

"I would never do that to you," he said. "If you knew how special you are, then you'd understand why I treat you to way I do."

She lowered her eyes, so shy and modest.

"Me? Special?" She giggled.

"But you are," Leo insisted.

"How am I?" she asked playfully, looking at him again, wanting to hear what reasons he could possibly have for loving her as much as he did.

"You didn't scream when you first saw us. It takes a special kind of person to look at something like me and my family and _not_ scream. Believe me, I know. And you didn't have to say yes when I asked you out that one night. But you did. That's got to count for something, too."

"But look at yourself, Leo. You're so brave and charming. You're everything I've dreamed about. How can I refuse?"

"Did you dream about a giant mutated turtle?"

She giggled again.

"Well...no, but what does it matter? I never said he _had_ to be human, just as long as he loves me and protects me, and doesn't take advantage of me. You're all of these things, Leo. I've never cared that you were a giant mutated turtle. And after all the experience I've had with humans, I don't have my hopes up, so I rather like having something different."

She was referring not only to the men who had raped her, but boyfriends she'd had in the past, who had not treated her very well.

"I do love you," said Leo. "And I would never do anything to hurt you. You know that, right?"

"I can't imagine you would," she said, her voice so soft that he wouldn't have been able to hear her had there been any other noise in the room. Her eyes were wide and innocent, but inside them there was a light of knowledge that said she knew more than she would tell. She wasn't stupid. She was more worldly that she appeared. "I…"

Mentally, Leo kicked himself. He was pressuring her. But, how else could he prove to her that he was thinking only of her, and that what he got out of it was just something that came included in the deal?

"I won't hurt you," he said.

She moved forward a little. She was wearing her school uniform, having come to the lair straight from work, and the hem of her skirt edged up almost all the way, revealing the white skin of her legs beneath. Whether this was on purpose or accident Leo couldn't know, but nevertheless, he couldn't tear his eyes away.

What was more, she didn't seem to care. In fact, he felt both of her hands close around one of his, and pull it towards her. When he touched the warm, smooth skin of her thigh, they both let out a sigh, trembling in either apprehension or excitement. Slowly, hoping against hope that she wouldn't say no, he ran the back of his hand along the inside of her thigh. He had no idea how to seduce a girl, having no experience in the matter, but he seemed to be doing well. She closed her eyes and made a soft noise in her throat, and he froze, unsure of what that meant.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Did they do that to you?"

He meant the men who had raped her.

"Yes," she said, opening her eyes. They had a warm, languid look in them that he had never seen before. "But with you, it feels different. It feels good."

She closed her eyes and lay down on the pillows, her breasts swelling with her indrawn breath. Leo continued what he was doing, well aware of what was happening to her body, and to his.

"Leo…"

"Hmm?"

"You can take me now, if you want."

"Can I?" he asked, moving to kiss her, making sure that this was what she wanted. Her leg slowly rubbed against his hand, and his body caught fire. The word she whispered was one he had wanted so long to hear.

"Yes."

Her voice quivered with passion and excitement, her green eyes so shy, but so full of trust. He put his hands on either side of her, noticing how small she looked as he rose up over her, nudging his legs between hers. Holding himself up on one hand, he used the other to pop the first two buttons of her blouse, just enough so he could see the round curve of her breasts and a hint of the white bra she wore underneath. Then, wondering how he was going to do this without crushing her, he lay down on top of her, where their lips met. Her tiny hands were on his chest, but they did not try to push him away, as they had done to others before him. They caressed his shoulders and arms as he slid his hand behind her to gently grip the back of her neck, and she tilted her head back to allow him to kiss the white slope of her throat, letting out a small sigh when his lips touched. The muscles in his arms bulged as he moved, and for a moment, a flicker of panic flashed through her eyes.

He noticed, and said softly, "This strength will never be used to hurt you. I will protect you, forever."

She held his face in her hands for a moment, then slid them behind his head to untie the knot of his mask. Her eyes were shining.

"Oh, Leo…" she moaned.

* * *

There was a soft sound as she stirred into wakefulness and Leo opened his eyes, realizing he had been dozing. He turned his head as her bright, aqua green eyes opened. 

"Leo?" she asked, her speech slurred with sleep.

"Yes, darling?" he said, putting his arm around her to pull her close. She returned the kiss he placed on her soft, warm lips.

"What time is it?"

He sat up and squinted at the clock that was sitting on his desk.

"Three forty-five," he said, laying back down.

She blinked in surprise at the hour, then propping herself up on her elbows, leaned over her side of the bed to get her purse. Once it was in her hands, she sat up digging her cell phone out of it. She flipped it open, pushed a few buttons, and stood up without bothering to put anything on as she placed it to her ear. Leo lay back and enjoyed the show as she paced back and forth in front of his bed.

The phone on the other line stopped ringing. A sleepy male voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Dad," she said. "Can I spend the night at Lydia's house?"

"Who?"

"Lydia," she repeated. "You know, the gothic chick I brought to our barbecue the other day?"

"I don't care."

She took the phone away from her ear, staring at it for a minute.

"Thanks Dad." She looked at Leo, and tried to smile. "He hung up on me."

There was a hurt look on her face, but at the same time, she didn't look surprised. Neither was Leo. Ever since her younger brother had died in a car accident, her parents were not exactly friendly to her. It wasn't her fault. Her brother and her girlfriend had been hit by a drunk driver, and the only reason she had survived was that she could run faster than the other two, and had managed to get out of the car's way in time. She was, however, not fast enough to avoid getting a scar on her back, and Leo let his eyes wander over it now, remembering what a mystery it had been when he'd first seen it. It seemed so simple now, the pink ridges of flesh another painful reminder of even more painful memories.

She closed the phone, put it back into her purse, and sat down on the bed again. She didn't lie down, but Leo moved closer to her all the same. She looked pale and forlorn as she said to him, "I guess it's a good thing my parents don't like me very much, because it gives me free reign to do whatever I want. But I wish they would care once in a while, you know what I mean?"

Leo didn't. There had only been a few times in his life when he and his brothers didn't get along, but there had never been a time when they didn't care about each other. But he didn't say this. Instead, he put his arm around her waist and kissed her back, flicking his tongue across her scar.

"I care about you."

"I know you do, Leo, and I'm glad for it. But," her voice cracked, and she choked on her words. "I just wish I had parents who loved me."

She sounded like she was going to cry, but there were no tears in her eyes. Leo stopped trying to turn her on, realizing that she was too upset to be bothered with it right now. He got up on his knees and pulled her to him, pressing her back against his plastron. He held her tightly, wrapping his body around hers.

"They love you," he said in her ear, and felt her skin break out into gooseflesh. "Because no matter what, you're still their daughter. You're their flesh and blood, and there's nothing in the world that can break that."

Voice of experience. He and Raf had just gotten out of a really bad scuffle, and while he had been extremely frustrated with his brother, he was still part of their family, and he had never hated him, despite all he had done.

"I guess so," she said. She took a deep breath, and Leo relaxed his hold so her lungs could expand. She rolled her head around so she could look into his eyes, even if her view was upside-down. "But why do I get the feeling that they weren't overly concerned with my disappearance and kidnapping?"

He looked sternly at her.

"That is not true, and you know it."

"I don't think so, Leo."

He hated to see her this way. It was so unlike her to feel sorry for herself, and he didn't like it. He had to take her mind off it somehow. She may have been rejected by her biological family, but she would always have a place here in his. Sweeping her hair to the side, he kissed the back of her neck softly, brushing her scar with his fingertips.

"Don't worry about it," he said as her back arched. "Just forget it."

"Hmmmm," she replied in agreement. They lay down together, and she turned around to face him.

"So, who's Lydia?" he asked.

She giggled.

"She's a friend of mine. Whenever I come to see you guys, my parents think I'm going to her house. I think should be worrying about her being my girlfriend, but if they suspect anything, they don't say it. I think they're just glad I'm out of their hair, seeing as how I practically live here now."

"Could you do that? Move out of your house and come live here?"

The idea certainly appealed to him. It would be great to have his little girlfriend around all the time, as apposed to most of the time. But she shook her head.

"I could get emancipated, but I really don't want to go through anything else that has to do with the courts right now. Besides, I've only got the last half of my senior year in high school left; I don't really see the point."

"Maybe you're right," he said, folding her into his arms, and she tumbled against his chest. They held each other close, as if it was their last night on earth, until they finally fell asleep in each other's arms. They knew that here, they were safe, and here, they would always belong.

**A little bit of cute A.J./Leo fluff to start us off!  
**


	2. Chapter 2: Private Concert

**To ladycordelia17, thank you very much for your review. You raise a very interesting question that I meant to address but I forgot: why is A.J. having sex so soon after her traumatic experience? Given what she's been through, wouldn't she never want to have sex again?**

**Keep it in mind, because I'm going to address it in my author's notes at the end of the story, because it's a really big issue that's really important to the story. I'll give you the short answer, and it's that yes, it's much too soon for her to be having sex again, from a realistic standpoint, but just hang in with me, because there are a lot of factors that sort of play into it. You are wrong in one thing, though. She will never recover fully. She's still going to hate being snuck up on, and she gets really freaked out when people come at her in a violent way, as you will see later on.**

**To answer your other questions, yes, the fact that the turtles aren't human certainly helps, but it's also the way they treat her that really makes her attach to them the way that she does. And yes, Sasha is my OC, and yes, she is Raf's love interest. No, you do not get to find out who she is yet. But you will, just be patient. Thank you for the recommendation as well; I got a good laugh out of it. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics to the song that will be featured in this chapter, I think Gary Moore does. I also do not own Indiana University, or the band Nightwish. **

Since she and Leo had started sleeping together a week ago, A.J had begun making a habit of staying over. Christmas Eve was exactly the same way, despite Master Splinter's lecture that Christmas was a time to be with your family, wondering why she was spending the holidays down in the sewers with them, to which she had replied that it was a time to be with the people you love, and her family was certainly not among those people.

"Christmas at my house is never fun," she said. "We give gifts simply because it is a universal tradition. That's just what you do at Christmas. There is no love behind them, and we never say much at dinner." Her face fell. "It used to be better, before Chase died, because there were more of us, and more reasons to talk: more things to talk about. But when he died, it became even harder to bear. Christmas was his favorite holiday. And with Helen home, life with my dad has become all but unbearable."

Her older sister Helen, who was now a freshman at Indiana University studying cello had come home for Christmas. She was her father's favorite, and he spoiled her rotten.

"She's pretty, and she's talented, but she's such a diva," A.J. said bitterly. "I suppose I should be glad she's here, because it keeps my dad's focus off me, but I really hate sitting around the house all day listening to the two of them go on and on." She sighed, and Leo longed to take the pain away from her heavy face. "But if it makes you feel better, sir," she addressed Master Splinter, "I think of you guys as my family now, so _technically_ I'm spending time with my family."

She grinned hopefully, and the old rat's stern face softened. A smile crept to his lips as he took A.J.'s hands in his.

"We are flattered, my dear, and you will always have a place here in our home, and in our hearts."

She bent her head in respect, smiling all over the place. As soon as Splinter had released her, she was grabbed up again as Mikey gave her a fierce hug.

"Heck yeah, babe!" he shouted as he swept her off her feet and swung her around. "Babe" was just his pet name for her, with nothing implied, because he knew that she was his brother's girl. He set her down, but she didn't have any time to recover, because almost immediately, Raf reached over and rumpled her short, fluffy hair.

"You always gotta place with us, sis," he said in a voice that was fond for him. Leo noticed the flash of sadness in his brother's eyes as he said this, and he felt a slight pang of guilt, for he understood his pain, or at least the cause of it. Unknown to Mikey, Donny and even Master Splinter, he, Raf and A.J. all shared a secret. Both Leo and Raf loved A.J., even though Leo was the one who had her heart. She had gone for Leo almost the moment the two had met, without even realizing that Raf had fallen in love with her too, going so far as to break up with his previous girlfriend, a girl that no one in his family knew about. It was one of the things that had caused the rift between the two brothers, who were already at each other's throats for nearly everything, to grow even larger, and another thing to drive them apart. Even though they had eventually come to an understanding and Raf had accepted that she was in love with his brother, he still loved the pretty redhead, though his affections came off as a brotherly sort of love, as the two had agreed. He was happy for them both, of course, but he was also jealous as well. His love for A.J. had been bad, and it wasn't ready to let him go yet, though he wished so hard that it would. He called her "sis," and treated her like a part of the family to mask his feelings, but while he managed to fool everyone else, Leo knew the pain was there. He saw it in his eyes, but he knew there was nothing he could do. There was just some things you just couldn't do, and take a sibling's deep, private pain away is one of them.

He was not the only one who noticed. A.J. also knew of the daily pain she caused her "brother." She increasingly felt sorry for him, and incredibly guilty because of it. It was a great temptation to comfort him in ways that were more than just friendly, out of pure pity and a desire to ease the pain, but like Leo, she knew her responsibilities, and she had her own honor to think of, as well as the boys'. Her heart belonged to Leo, and she had to think of him, first. Now that she had let him have her body as well, she couldn't possibly think about going behind his back. It was bad enough that she caused one brother pain: she didn't think she could handle being responsible for two, and she had too gentle a nature to betray the very one who had given her so much, and asked for nothing in return.

Their relationship was a complicated one beneath the surface, but they did their best to avoid trouble because of it, and so far, none had come of it. It was very much like the three of them to bottle the rough parts of their emotions up inside, keeping them hidden from everyone else, including each other. Though Leo knew about his brother's feelings for his girlfriend, said girlfriend had no idea he knew, and had no intention of telling him, in hopes that Raf's feelings would fade with time. Then they could pretend it never happened, and Leo would never have to know. Meanwhile, on the other side of the spectrum, Leo couldn't bring himself to tell his girlfriend that he knew, knowing that she had enough bad memories on her plate: there was no need to add anything else. Things were going good between them, and there was no reason to disrupt their smooth sailing, so to speak.

After she had run her hand through her hair a few times to fix the mess Raf had made of it, Mikey immediately bombarded her with their stereo system, imploring her to sing for them. It was something he was likely to do, ever since he'd heard her voice for the first time, something that Leo had discovered the first time he had ever seen her, performing at a school talent show. Sighing, she agreed, rolling her eyes in mock annoyance.

"Oh fine. Just because it's Christmas," she said, and the four boys cheered, clamoring over the couch as she scrolled through the songs on her iPod before selecting one and plugging it in. The song started with a fast drumbeat, and the boys recognized it immediately, giving another cheer as A.J. took her place on top of the coffee table they had cleared of remotes and pizza boxes as a sort of a mock stage. She grinned and blushed, repeating, "Just because it's Christmas."

Though heavy metal wasn't exactly in any of the boys' taste, A.J. had introduced them to a group called Nightwish, a Finnish band that combined lush, operatic female vocals with the pounding drums and guitars, along with orchestra on some of their songs and the deep, raspy growl of their male singer on others. Their songs ranged from soothing lullabies accompanied by a piano to great, epic ballads, with every song a surprise. You never knew what you were going to get when it came to them, and the song A.J. was singing for them now was Leo's personal favorite: Over the Hills and Far Away.

_"They came for him one winter's night_

_Arrested he was bound_

_They said there'd been a robbery_

_His pistol had been found."_

Though she didn't have her long hair anymore, Leo was still hypnotized by the way it caught the light as she threw it forward, banging her head considerably well for someone who preferred classical music and movie soundtracks. The guitars sounded like a typical jig or a riverdance, which had made the boys think at first that the group was Irish or Scottish.

_"They marched him to the stationhouse_

_He waited for the dawn_

_And as they led him to the dock_

_He knew he'd been wronged_

_You stand accused of robbery_

_He heard the bailiff say_

_He knew without an alibi_

_Tomorrow's light would mourn his freedom_

_Over the hills and far away_

_For ten long years he'll count the days_

_Far from the mountains and blue seas_

_A prisoner's life for him there'll be."_

Because the vocals were in such a high range, it took a little more air to get the notes out right, and A.J. was glad for the break to catch her breath. But she was only allowed a few measures of rest before she had to sing the next verse.

_"He knew that it would cost him dear_

_But yet he dared not say_

_Where he had been that fateful night_

_A secret it must stay._

_He had to fight back tears of rage_

_His heartbeat like a drum_

_For with the wife of his best friend_

_He spent his final night of freedom_

_Over the hills and far away_

_He swears he will return one day_

_Far from the mountains and blue seas_

_Back in her arms is where he'll be."_

Leo really liked this song because it told a story. He had always loved stories that were told through music, but it was so hard to find good, contemporary artists that did that anymore. This one was one of those. It had a strong, driving beat, beautiful rhythms, and a storyline, and to top it all off, the love of his life: his A.J., was singing, bringing the story to life so that it played through Leo's head like a movie. Thanks to some of Donny's tweaking on the machine, he had been able to turn down the vocal track on the song so that it was little more than a whisper in the shadow of A.J.'s powerful voice, but they could not get rid of it entirely. Still, A.J. said it was good, because it was loud enough for her to hear to make sure she got her notes right, but it was quiet enough that they heard her voice more than the actual singer's.

Watching her as she tapped her foot along to the beat, lost in her own little musical world, he mused over her. She looked so much different without a microphone in her hand, and she sounded different when she wasn't amplified on huge speakers so that she could be heard a mile away. He liked these personal, private concerts much more than the other ones, he decided, though he had seen more personal concerts than public ones, so maybe his opinion was a tad biased. Being rather shy and introverted, she didn't sing on stage a lot, though she had a voice worthy of it. The only times she ever sang in front of people, not counting them, were special occasions at her family's church, and once or twice in a school talent show, but those, she had told them, were nothing but popularity contests, and as she wasn't popular, she typically didn't get the great applause that the boys thought she deserved, so they made up for it by doing it here.

He was jerked out of his thoughts as the guitar solo ended and she began to sing again.

_"Each night within his prison cell_

_He looks out through the bars_

_He reads the letters that she wrote_

_One day he'll know the taste of freedom."_

She had reached the part when all the background dropped out so it was just the vocals and the drums, and the boys, who had heard this song so many times now, sang the words along with her, though none of them could carry a tune to save their lives.

_"Over the hills and far away_

_She prays he will return one day_

_As sure as the rivers reach the seas_

_Back in his arms is where she'll be."_

"Key change!" yelled Mikey before the music came back in. He only knew this because A.J. had told him. He knew next to nothing about music; he didn't even know what a key change meant. All he knew was that this part of the song sounded different than the other. Still, it was always something he called out, either out of habit or just to make them all smile, and A.J. took an extra deep breath to prepare for the higher notes.

_"Over the hills and far away_

_He swears he will return one day_

_Far from the mountains and blue seas_

_Back in her arms is where he'll be_

_Over the hills and far away_

_She prays he will return one day_

_As sure as the rivers reach the seas_

_Back in his arms is where she'll be_

_"Over the hills_

_Over the hills and far away_

_Over the hills_

_Over the hills and far awaaaaaaayyyy-heeeeeyyy!"_

She held onto the last note until the music began to fade out, then gave a bow as they cheered and clapped for her.

"Encore, encore!" Mikey yelled, but she got off the table and collapsed into the chair Leo was sitting in.

"Lemme catch my breath, first!" she gasped. "Whew! That song is tough to sing! I don't know how Tarja does it! She's up on stage giving full concerts, and here I am getting tired after one song! Could someone get me some water, please? Since you made me sing for you?"

"I'll do it," said Mikey, but Raf was already getting up.

"Sit your shell down, Mikey," he said. "I got it."

As Raf got her water, A.J stretched out sideways on Leo's lap, throwing her feet and head over the sides of the chair. He started tapping a completely rhythmless beat on her stomach with his fingers, but stopped when she turned her head, and saw Master Splinter upside-down.

"Oh. Hey, Splinter," she said, joining the scramble to get off the couches and show respect to the old rat.

"I hope I have not interrupted the festivities," he said warmly, an amused smile on his face. "You truly have a lovely voice, my dear."

A.J. blushed, and looked down at her shoes.

"Are we being too loud, Master?" asked Leo.

"Absolutely not, my son. The holidays are a time to celebrate, and sitting cooped up in one's room is no way to celebrate. Might I be permitted to join you young people, or would I be in your way, old and out of date as I am?"

"No!" five voices echoed as one, and Master Splinter sat down in one of the chairs, the one Leo and A.J. had been previously occupying. Raf handed her the water, and she drank it down, pausing for breath about halfway through it.

"Okay," she said, handing the glass back to Raf as he transported it to the sink. "What's next?"

"You were going to sing again," said Mikey.

"Eew, was I?"

"Come on, sweetheart," said Leo, sliding his arm around her waist. "You know how we all enjoy hearing your siren's voice."

She blushed.

"You certainly have a way with words, Mr. Leonardo Hamato," she said, trying to squirm out of his grip, but he didn't let her go. "And I don't have a siren's voice."

"Don't be too sure about that," Raf muttered so that only she and Leo could hear. Leo's eyes flashed in jealousy at his brother, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he dropped a soft kiss on her lips and said, "Come on. Please?"

"Pretty please with sugar on top?" Mikey begged, rolling his eyes at her and pooching his lower lip out.

A.J. sighed, and gave Mikey a pat on the head.

"Oh, very well, if you insist." Mikey gave a cheer, but she spoke over him. "But only one more, and then we start cooking dinner."

"Now you're talkin'," said Raf, rubbing his stomach.

Since the boys and their father were awake in the nighttime, they had decided to hold their Christmas party before Christmas morning, opening presents at midnight, when Christmas Eve was officially over.

She scrolled through her iPod for a minute, finally finding something, then she took her place back up on the coffee table.

** Music really does mean a whole lot to me, so if you haven't noticed, there's going to be a lot of song lyrics in my stories. If that bothers anybody, sorry. They won't take over the story, so be glad about that.**

**The song was originally by Gary Moore, but Nightwish did a cover of it, and anyone who knows anything about Nightwish probably knows Over the Hills and Far Away is a pretty cool song. But then again, they're a pretty cool band. This song was the first I'd ever heard of Nightwish, so there's a little personal relevance to me. I would highly reccommend them to anyone interested, so check 'em out if you're so inclined!**

**Oh, yeah, and to anyone who doesn't know, Tarja is the name of their lead singer. Or at least she was; they fired her. **

**R&R, plz! **


	3. Chapter 3: A Perfect Fit

**Remember when I asked you guys to give me ideas for Christmas presents? Well, here is why. Merry Christmas everybody!**

**To imthegreenfairy88: thank you SOOO much for your review! You totally made my day, and I was laughing so hard I almost fell out of my chair. And to Elizabeth von Scweitzer: _will_ he ever get over A.J.? What do you think?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the bands Amber Pacific or Evanescence.**

"Jeez, that's depressing," said Mikey when she got back down off the table and unplugged her iPod. "Why'd ya have to sing that one now? Christmas is supposed to be a happy time, not a time when you want to kill yourself."

She had sung "Lithium," by Evanescence for them. The eerie way she had made her voice sound, imitating Amy Lee's banshee wail almost exactly, was enough to chill the blood in everyone's veins.

"It's even more depressing if you know what lithium is used for," said Donny. He and A.J. traded knowing glances, both of them knowing what illness the metal was used to keep at bay.

"Just wanted to let you know that not everyone has a reason to celebrate this time of year," A.J said, winding the cord around her iPod and going to put it into her backpack. Once that was done, she picked up the shopping bags that held the food that she was going to prepare for their first Christmas together. "Guys, I'm gonna need some help. You all have to pitch in if you want this to work."

"Hang on," Raf put in as they all migrated into the kitchen to help their human friend. "What _is_ lithium used for, Don?"

"It's a drug they use to combat schizophrenia," said his genius brother matter-of-factly, as though it were a something that everyone knew about.

"But while it manages to right the chemical imbalance in the brain caused by schizophrenia, it makes the person affected unable to feel anything at all. They just sit there like a stupid corpse," A.J. continued.

"That's why most people on lithium stop taking it within a few months of treatment," said Donny. "They can't feel anything anymore."

"So that's what the line in the song means when she says she wants to stay in love with her sorrow," said Leo. "She would rather feel sadness and guilt than nothing at all."

"Bingo!" said his girlfriend.

"Man, that's really depressing, dudes," said Mikey. "I'm never gonna be able to listen to that song again without thinking about that."

"Makes you wanna cut your wrists, don't it?" said A.J., a half a smile on her face.

"Or jump off a building," said Donny.

"Or drown yourself," said Raf, and at that point, Master Splinter stood up.

"That is enough!" he said sharply. "There will be no more talk of suicide tonight."

"Yes, _sensei_," they all said quietly, bowing their heads.

"Abigail, in the future, could you please sing something a bit more cheerful for us to avoid these types of conversations?"

Ever since he had learned her real name, he had dropped calling her by her nickname, believing that it was more respectful to address someone by their full name.

"Yes, Master Splinter," she said, bowing her head again. He nodded, then moved to go sit down at the table. A.J. washed her hands, and then took control of the kitchen.

"Donny, I need you to peel these potatoes." She handed him a bag, and he rummaged around in the silverware drawer until he found a sharp knife. Taking the bag from her, he went over to the sink to wash and peel the potatoes.

"Leo, I need you to help me out with this turkey," she said, doing her best to lift the monster of a bird out of the bag until her boyfriend relieved her, picking it up and setting it down as though it were nothing. Nabbing one of Raf's sai that was lying around, she cut off the netting that was surrounding the turkey, pulling it off and dumping it into the trash can. Leo had to smile at how ridiculous the weapon looked clutched in her hand, because he was so used to seeing them in his brother's bigger ones, and he realized just how big they were. Though Raf's weapons were the smallest of the group, seeing them in comparison to A.J. made him realize that it was just Raf's sheer size that made them look so small, or maybe it was his girlfriend that was small, thereby making the weapons look big. The blade itself was almost as long as her arm, and the forks on either side were bigger than her hands. Her tiny hand didn't even cover half the handle, and when she brought the blade up again, she made Leo afraid she was going to poke her eyeballs out.

But she didn't, because suddenly, they flashed, and she lunged forward with an angered cry.

"Mikey, get _out_ of the brownies!"

The guilty turtle, who had been trying to sneak his hand past the tinfoil that covered a pan that was sitting on the counter, shrieked and jumped back, his ninja reflexes saving his hand as the sai she was holding crashed down on the place where it had been moments before. Looking a little relieved that she had failed, she still held it up threateningly at him as he backed away from her precious brownies.

"Dude!" he exclaimed, blue eyes wide. "You better get your sai outta her hands, Raf; she's dangerous!"

She rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Make yourself useful, Mike, and go help your brother."

She jerked her head over to Donny, who groaned.

"I don't need any help; he'll only make a mess!"

"Too bad," she said. "Just keep him out of trouble."

"With Mikey, that's impossible," Donny grumbled, handing Mikey another knife.

"Is there anything I can do?" Master Splinter asked from his place at the table.

Leo opened his mouth to say that the old rat needn't trouble himself, but A.J. spoke first.

"Uh…well, you could make some tea, I guess. Yeah, do that. We'll add a Japanese touch to our Christmas feast." She smiled, eager at seeing her Christmas dream of celebrating with a true family become a reality.

"What do I do?" said Raf, and everyone turned to him, realizing that he was the only family member with nothing to do.

Four bags of frozen peas hit him one after the other in the face.

"Cook the peas," said A.J.

"How the shell do I do that?"

She gave him an annoyed look.

"You've never prepared peas before?"

"He's never prepared anything before," said Leo.

"Yeah, even his own bed!" Mikey burst in.

"Hey, you ain't exactly the model of neatness either," his red-masked brother shot back.

"No, that's Leo."

"That's because _I_ don't like living in a barnyard. I'm a turtle, not a pig."

"Coulda fooled me," said Raf.

"OOOOHHH!" yelled Mikey as everyone burst out laughing.

"Get some ice for that burn!" said A.J., abandoning her shy giggle and laughing out loud, soft pink lips stretched back over her straight, white teeth.

Leo was at a loss for words. He never really liked being the one who was the victim of his brothers' teasing, especially when A.J. took their side and laughed with them, but he knew that they all went through it from time to time, and sometimes, it was his turn. Besides, it was all in good fun. They didn't really mean anything by it. That was just part of being a family, learning to be the brunt of each other's jokes.

"Raf," he said, pointing a finger at him, but without a clue what he was going to say. His brother raised an eyeridge, preparing for the next insult, probably even thinking of a comeback in his mind already.

"…you suck," was all he could say, and they laughed again.

"I'm just teasin' ya, bro," Raf said, slinging a heavy arm around his brother's neck. "If you really looked like a pig, that would mean the rest of us do, too."

Everyone's smiles faded as that very same point dawned on them.

"Oh yeah."

"Whoa. Oops"

They were silent for a minute, staring at each other, then Master Splinter clapped his hands.

"Come now! Back to work, my sons! This dinner is not going to cook itself, you know!"

In response, A.J. attacked the plastic wrapping of the turkey with Raf's sai, which she still held in her hand.

"Careful, sweetheart," said Leo, no longer afraid of her stabbing out her eyeballs, but instead fearful that she was going to chop one of her fingers off.

"I got it," she said, pursing her lips in exertion as she tore at the plastic. "Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I'm a completely helpless little…ouch!"

The weapon clattered to the floor as she jerked and let out a squeak so shrill and high that Master Splinter flattened his ears against his head, and everyone winced at the sound.

"What happened?" asked Donny, immediately in his element as the family doctor.

"You okay, babe?" asked Mikey. "What did you do?"

"A.J.?" said Leo, putting his hand gently on her back as she stuck her fingers in her mouth. "Are you all right?"

"Let me see," said Donny, pulling on her wrist. Her fingers came out of her mouth with a small, wet smack, and they inspected the damage done. In her distraction as she'd been talking to Leo, she'd given the blade a little too hard of a push, and slit the pad of her middle finger open. The cut was deep, judging by how fast and heavy the blood was flowing, but it was not life-threatening. Donny had her wrap her finger in a napkin, telling her to squeeze hard to stop the bleeding, and gave her a bandage to apply when it did. But he would not let her near the food, saying it was no good now that she had an open wound, so she sat back and bossed everyone around.

"Okay, what you're going to do, Raf, is get the peas out of the bag…"

"Yeah, I figured that much."

"Put them in this bowl here, add a little water…no, more than that… okay, that's good, and put them in the microwave. Leo, _wash your hands!_ Don't even think about touching the turkey without washing your hands!"

Leo jumped, but hurried to do as he was told.

"Set the timer for about five minutes, and then we'll take them out, stir them around a little and put them back in."

"Five minutes? Ain't that a long time?"

"It's a lot of peas. Hang on, Donny, I'll be there in a minute. _Mikey!"_ she shrieked, and he scrambled away from the brownie tray again.

Eventually, they got the turkey basted and put into the oven, the potatoes cut and boiling in a pot on the stove, and all of the brownies remained in the pan. Master Splinter turned the flame on every once in a while to keep the tea warm, and Raf followed A.J.'s instructions, stirring up the peas and holding a few out to her in a spoon so she could taste them and see if they were done, an action that did not go unnoticed by his brother. Leo's eyes narrowed, but again, he said nothing, because as soon as she had shaken her head and told Raf to give the peas about three and a half more minutes, she turned away to check on the potatoes, stabbing them with a fork. When they were done, she told Donny to drain the water out of the pot, but to keep the potatoes inside, then told Mikey to get the milk and butter out of the fridge while she got a pair of eggbeaters out of a bag she had brought. After showing Donny how to use them, she had him mash them, stirring them up with the eggbeaters, adding milk and butter to give them a creamier texture. Finally, with the peas, tea and potatoes done, they were waiting on the turkey, which still had an hour to go.

Mikey's explosion announced that it was midnight.

"PRESENTS!" he yelled, and everyone, glad to be thinking about something other than the food, eagerly went back to their rooms to retrieve the gifts they had been hiding there. A.J. fished the five packages she had brought out of the bag which she had pulled the eggbeaters earlier, and joined them as they settled down on the floor in front of the TV, now cleared of the coffee table.

"Youngest first," she said, giving Mikey a wink, and he gave another cheer as she handed him a small, rectangular box wrapped in bright red paper. Though the boys were all the same age, the orange-banded turtle was most often considered the youngest, simply for his childish manner and his optimistic outlook on life. He ripped off the paper, revealing a video game.

"Sweeeeeet, dude!" he said, grabbing A.J. in a tight hug and giving her a sloppy, exaggerated kiss on the cheek.

"Mikey!" snapped Leo, trying not to smile.

"Sorry," his brother said with a grin. "You gotta share some of the time."

She smiled teasingly at her boyfriend.

"But Leo doesn't like to share, do you?"

"Not you," he said, putting his arms around her and nuzzling her behind the ear, causing her to giggle.

"Ugh, get a room you two," Raf grumbled, and they stopped. A.J. handed Donny his present, which was considerably bigger, wrapped in blue paper with little silver snowflakes.

"Here you go, Don."

"Thanks."

He opened it up, taking his sweet time as he carefully removed the tape from the corners of the wrapping.

"Hurry up, dude!"

"Shut up, Mikey. I like this paper; I don't want to destroy it. It's not even your present, why are you so impatient?"

"I just wanna see what it is."

It turned out to a book. Donny's eyes widened with childish delight as he opened it up and immediately began to read. He did not get far, however, because Mikey snatched it out from under his nose.

"_Mysteries of the Unexplained?"_ he said, reading the title. Donny snatched it back, defensively.

"She told me about it once," he said. "It's a book full of strange stuff that's actually happened. UFO sightings, miracles, predictions, ghosts, stuff falling from the sky…"

"Whatever, dork."

"You know all that stuff's just a bunch of hocus pocus, don't you?" said Leo. "I mean, I'm sure the section about aliens is true, but what about the rest of it?"

A.J. gave him a very serious look.

"Maybe you should let him read it when you're done with it, Donny," she said. To Leo, she said, "This is a very strange world we live in. You of all people should know that."

They would know, too. All the proof they needed was a mirror.

She handed Raf his present.

"Man, why do I hafta get the one with the stupid snowmen?" he grumbled, good-naturedly. The paper his present was wrapped in was white with sparkling red snowmen.

"Just open it," she said, and Raf tore off the paper.

"Heh-hey, cool."

He held two _Ghost Rider_ comic books in his hands, his comment about the stupid snowmen forgotten. Looking over at A.J. in amused surprise, he said, "How did you know?"

She and Mikey exchanged grins, then she said, "Mikey told me. He said those were the only comic books he could get you to read."

"Maybe cause they're the only comic books worth readin'."

Mikey looked a little hurt, so she came to his defense.

"Plus, I figured he would be the kind of comic book hero you would look up to. The kind of guy you'd model your own hero after, right?" She gave him a knowing look. "Isn't this where you got the inspiration for the Nightwatcher?"

He nodded. "Yup. Thanks, sis."

She breathed a sigh of relief. Though he had gotten better at controlling his temper over the past couple of months, she was still a little edgy around him, worried that she might piss him off and make him lose it. They'd gotten off on the wrong foot when they'd first met, and he had frightened her on more than one occasion, so the underlying fear that she would make him mad was always there, even though they were on much better terms now. In reality, he was just as afraid of making her mad as she was of him, because she had once lost her temper with him, one night when he was still the Nightwatcher and had ended up on the roof of her townhouse without realizing it. She was a sharp as a tack, and had figured out who the man, or in this case, the turtle, behind the mask was. Though she was about half his size, she had made him feel like he was three inches tall, exposing the truth of his actions, and who he was really thinking of. But she had no knowledge of this fear, and he intended to keep it that way. Reaching over, he gave her a hug with one arm, then she handed Leo his present, wrapped in red paper with green and gold Christmas trees.

"You'll have to be prepared to share," she said as he pulled off the paper to reveal a CD: Nightwish's greatest hits.

"Hey, awesome!"

"Ooh Leo, you know you're sharing that with all of us," said Donny.

"My shell I am," Leo said, causing them all to smile, knowing that he would eventually give in and let them all listen to it at least once. He leaned over and gave A.J. a kiss. "Thanks, sweetheart."

"Okay, last but not least," she said and handed Master Splinter his present, which was by far the biggest, and wrapped in gold paper.

"Thank you, my dear," he said, taking it from her and setting it on his lap. He was seated on the couch while everyone else was on the floor, and they crowded around him like a pack of curious children at story time, eager to see what surprises this mysterious box held.

When they did see what it was, none of them could help but burst out laughing. To the causal observer, who knew nothing about Splinter's love for soap operas, one would have thought A.J. had wrapped the wrong present, or that she was a disrespectful little wench, but _Gilmore Girls: Seasons 1-4_ on DVD was, in reality, the perfect present for the old rat.

"Ooh, wonderful!" he cried happily, his brown eyes glowing, and he leaned down and gave A.J what was probably a very fuzzy, whiskery kiss on the cheek, and she giggled.

"I knew you'd like that," she said. "Now you can watch it whenever you want, if Mikey's not hogging the TV."

"Thank you again, my dear," he said, setting the DVDs down and picking up a small, soft leather bag. "And now, I have something for you."

He opened the bag, pulling out a bracelet made of braided leather with three glass beads tied into it, one pale, aqua green, one dark red like blood, and the other sapphire blue.

"Oh, it's pretty!" she gasped, and Master Splinter gestured for his sons to step back.

"Kneel, my child."

A look between confusion, apprehension and fright appeared on her face, but she didn't question his command as the boys stood up and got out of the way and she moved from a sitting position to her knees in front of the couch, unsure of what was going to happen.

Splinter took her arm in his hand and put the bracelet on her wrist before he then let go and laid it on her forehead, saying, in the deep voice he used to address his own sons, "Welcome to our family, my dear."

She smiled, raising her eyes as he let go of her forehead. She stood up, looking around at the boys, who smiled back, then Splinter drew her into a gentle hug, softly patting her back with one gnarled hand. She hugged back, and when she opened her eyes, Leo could see she had tears in them.

"Thank you," she said weakly, sniffling and turning away for a second, wiping her eyes.

"Awww," said Mikey softly, to everyone's surprise. They'd all been expecting him to say or do something stupid and ruin the moment completely, but he didn't. Instead, he waited until the moment was over before he exploded and acted like his usual goofy self. Reaching out, he grabbed her hand and pulled her over to where he and Donny stood, intent on giving her their present first.

Donny handed her the laptop he was holding in his hands, opening it up so he could show her its many functions.

"We built it ourselves," said Mikey proudly, and Donny rolled his eyes.

"_I_ built it, without your help, thank you kindly."

"Yeah, but I put all the cool music on there," the orange banded turtle protested.

"No, I did that, too."

"No you didn't! You don't listen to Amber Pacific!"

"Neither do you, genius."

"Yes I do!"

"Really, since when?"

"Thanks, guys," said A.J. quickly, breaking up their quarrel. "I really wanted a computer of my own, but my family can't afford one, at least not for me. Somehow my dad found the money to get Helen one last year for a graduation present, and I bet he took it out of the money they set aside for mine and David's college funds."

"Well, now you've got one. You'll just have to hide it from your family, just so they don't get suspicious," said Donny. "But it runs entirely on batteries, so you don't need to plug it in to an electrical outlet, and it's got internet access, with virus protection of course…"

Raf cleared his throat.

"Don…"

His brother looked up.

"Oh, right."

He would show her all the neat gadgets and gizmos he'd put into it later. She gave both him and Mikey hugs and a kiss on the cheek each, then turned around to face Raf and Leo, putting the computer down.

"So, what have you brought me?" she asked with a giggle.

Raf went first, handing her a small spray bottle filled with a clear liquid.

"What is it?" Mikey asked, as he and Donny leaned over her shoulder.

"Perfume," she said, spraying a little on her wrist (and the bracelet), and rubbing them together. The smell reached all of their noses right about then, and Mikey sneezed. A.J., on the other hand, gave him a very sweet smile.

"This is really nice, Raf; where'd you get it?"

He shrugged.

"Online."

"It smells great; I love it. Thanks."

"You're welcome, sis," he said as he returned her hug, then stepped out of the way so Leo could give her his present.

Though he was a little jealous that his brother had gotten her such a nice gift, Leo had to admit the perfume did smell very nice. But the best gifts, Master Splinter had told them, came from the heart, and his gift, though simple, he had made with his own hands, a message of love to the little redhead whose life he had saved, and now become an important part of.

"It's not fancy," he said apologetically as she put the bottle of perfume on top of her computer. "But it still took me a while to make, so I hope you like it. At least I'll know that my efforts weren't wasted."

He extended his arm out towards her, and opened his clenched fist. Inside was a square locket with rounded corners roughly about two by two inches, with several Japanese characters on the front. Leo had carved it himself out of a piece of wood, slaving long into the daytime hours to finally varnish it and put the black ink into the character. He had also fitted a length of cord into the top, so she could wear it around her neck.

This time, she didn't say anything as she took it from his hand into her own, staring at the graceful, sweeping shapes across the front.

"That's your full name in Japanese," Leo said, a little afraid that she wouldn't like it. "That's mine there on the back…" he helped her turn it over, then back so he could show her the final touch, the one that had taken him nearly six hours to perfect. "…and finally, you push this and…" he pushed the flat button on the side and the locket popped open, revealing the picture of their kiss glued on the inside, downsized and shrunk to fit.

"Donny helped me out with that," he said.

"I just helped you shrink the picture!" gasped his brother. "I didn't know what you were going to use it for!"

"Dang, bro," said Raf, slapping Leo on the shell. "Good job. I think she likes it…"

Though he couldn't tell, because she was still staring at the locket, closing it and tracing the lines on the outside with her fingers. At last, when she looked up, Leo knew those long hours, cramped muscles, sore eyes, headaches and blisters had not been in vain. Her eyes were glowing even more than when she had received Master Splinter's gift, and she put it around her neck, the cord the perfect length for the locket to sit right in front of her heart.

"You made this yourself?" she breathed, stroking the locket with her fingers.

He smiled, and nodded.

"With my own hands." He held them up, and she covered her mouth, really looking like she was going to cry.

"Oh my God, Leo. It's beautiful; I love it."

His heart pounding so hard he thought it was going to explode, he took her into his arms. The locket looked like it belonged there, nestled between her breasts, protecting the beating heart beneath it.

A perfect fit, and so were their lips as she kissed him.

"You really like it?" he asked when she broke away, still standing on her tiptoes.

"It's the best present ever."

"Even better than ours?" said Mikey, looking hurt.

She smiled, then turned back around and they kissed again, holding longer this time, their tongues playing softly at each other's lips. Strangely, they didn't seem to care that they were being watched the entire time, until a shrill beeping sound broke them apart.

"That would be the oven," said A.J. The turkey was done.

"Dinnertime!" yelled Mikey, and they all scrambled around to prepare the table for their first Christmas meal together.

Much later, Leo and A.J. collapsed, exhausted into his bed. All the food, laughter and even singing after one too many brownies had worn them out, and now, at about seven o'clock in the morning, it was time for everyone to shut down and call it a night.

"Oh, man," A.J. groaned, falling down and curling into a little ball. "I've never eaten that much in my life! Christmas at my house was never like this!"

After closing the door, Leo crossed the room and lay down beside her, drawing her into his arms as she uncurled herself.

"What's it really like at your house?" he asked her.

"You tell scary stories at Halloween, not Christmas."

"Fair enough."

They were quiet for a moment, enjoying the silence they had not heard all evening. Then A.J. rolled over to face him. Leo could still smell the perfume Raf had given her, and reminded himself that she was here in his bed, not his brother's.

"I had a really nice time tonight, Leo. You guys really mean a lot to me, and I appreciate everything you've done for me. And this," she held up the locket. "This is beautiful! It must have taken you forever to get it like this, and it's perfect."

"Trust me, you're worthy of it."

He leaned down to kiss her, caressing the warm curve of her hip. Her shirt bunched up under his hand, and his fingers brushed her bare skin.

"I have something else for you," she said playfully, twisting one of the tails on his bandanna around her fingers.

"What is it?" he asked, just as playfully, a good idea in his head as to where this was going.

She let go of his mask, took his hand in hers, and brought it to rest on her thigh, feeling its warmth through the material of her pants.

"Why don't you unwrap it and find out?"

Leo smiled as he pulled her even closer to him, pressing her small body against his and losing himself in her soft lips.

Together, they were a perfect fit.

**Leo's such a great guy, isn't he? I'm sooooooo jealous of A.J. right now...  
**

**Random fact of the day: I think lithium really is used to treat schizophrenia, but it isn't the greatest of treatments. And maybe A.J.'s "coronation" ceremony, if you'd like to call it that, was a little cheesy, but it made me feel all warm and fuzzy, so I just had to write it. Plus, you get a nice little peek into her relationship with Splinter, and I think it adds a nice touch to the story.**

**I also think Raf would be the turtle, out of all his brothers, to read _Ghost Rider _comic books. It adds another dimension to his personality, and, as you will come to find, plays a part in his relationship with Rachel, his old girlfriend. And to anyone who's getting tired of me centering the story on Leo and A.J again and wondering why I'm still talking about them if this is Raf's story, don't worry. The next chapter is when the Raf action begins, and I promise you won't be disappointed. I'm just sort of setting it all up right now, so you can sort of see where everyone is, especially Raf, and how he's dealing now that he lost the girl of his dreams, or at least, so he thinks. **

**Review please, and happy holidays once again! **


	4. Chapter 4: Busted!

**Hellllllloooo everybody! I'm finally back! Sorry it all took so long: I've just spent the last week in Kansas visiting relatives and doing one of my least favorite activities of my life: flying in an airplane. God, I hate those things. And the airport security people, and the people on the plane with you. I wish fraternities would get their own private jets. And babies and small children need to be placed in soundproof booths **

**Anyway, thanks for the reviews, and a note before we start: there are some things in here that are pretty unrealistic, but that's the joy of cartoons. Just about everything is unrealistic. So I hope you enjoy, and apologies again for the wait! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and I'm glad as hell I don't. **

It was called the New York City Underground, or the Underground for short. From what little the boys had heard about it, eavesdropping on gangsters as they stalked the streets for prey, it was a fighting operation, a place where people went to fight each other, to bet on the fights, or to have a great time, all for money. They weren't sure where the money was coming from, but there was evidence to suggest that it was from the big, ultra-rich tycoons that ran the largest corporations of the city, who were the only ones with the money to fund these things, and to pay the winners. They met at a very secret location, unknown to the general public, and far beyond the reach of the authorities, for the New York City Underground was an illegal operation, and the few officers who knew about it were too scared to touch it, for fear of what important business figure they would find themselves tangling with. The Underground went to great lengths to keep its secrets, and there was no shortage of sinners to be found.

Fortunately, the city had a few secrets of its own with which to fight back.

Dressed up in trench coats and huge, wide-brimmed hats, the turtles were quietly following a group of men who, judging by their conversation, were going to the Underground. No one suspected them as they fell in line with the growing crowd of people that were all headed in the same direction as they.

The crowd led them to a scruffy, but rather large bar in the heart of Hell's Kitchen, a place no sane person in their right mind would go to have a drink on their way home from work. And like a speakeasy from the 1920's, there was a specific knock and password required to get into the place, and everyone had to go one at a time. Had they been normal police officers, the turtles might not have been able to get in. However, their fine-tuned senses allowed them to pick up the whispered words that were the key to the lock in the door of the Underground.

Raf wasn't nervous, though he could see Mikey fidgeting with the collar of his coat. They had done operations like this before; and this one was going to be no different. He was no stranger to guns, violence and bad tempers. He had weapons and a whole arsenal of techniques in his brain, and he wasn't afraid to use them. With his brothers by his side, under Leo's command, they were going to be in and out with no trouble at all. These ruffians may have been expert fighters, but they were no match for the four of them. This was going to be cake.

Ahead of him, Leo performed the knock, and when the small peephole in the door opened, he whispered the passwords, and the door opened wide enough for him to get through, then abruptly shut in Raf's face. With utter calm and collectivity, he raised one big knuckle and struck the door.

_Tap, tap._

Pause.

_Tap._

Pause.

_Tap, tap, tap, tap._

Pause.

_Tap._

The window near the top of the door slid open. A pair of bloodshot, grayish-green eyes appeared, almost hidden by bushy black eyebrows.

"Watsa password?" the guard asked in a thick, grimy voice.

"Under cover, outta sight," said Raf, and the door swung open. He entered, located the hunched, lumpy shadow of his brother, and approached him. Together, they waited until Mikey and Donny had joined them.

"I don't like this place," said Mikey, adjusting the collar of his coat again. In the shade of his hat, they could see his eyes looking around uneasily, wide with apprehension.

"C'mon Mikey, it ain't that bad," said Raf. "They're only humans. They're just like the Foot, 'cept without the fancy moves. It'll be fine; these twerps got nothin' on us."

"I guess you're right," his brother replied, though he still looked a little nervous.

"It does look pretty shifty," Donny agreed.

"Just nobody give any reason to get shot," said Leo firmly. "These people probably have guns or knives, or anything else that can be used as a weapon. Split up, but stay quiet, just so no one suspects anything."

"Yeah, four giant turtles with ninja weapons," said Mikey. "_That's_ not suspicious."

"Well, at least we blend in with these costumes on. In this crowd, we're practically undetectable. Again, stay low. When I give the signal, strike fast, hard and try to knock all of them out quickly and without a whole lot of trouble. That includes the bartender and the women in this crowd, whores or fighters or whatever they are. I know it's dishonorable, but the cops will need every witness they can get to blow this operation off the map. Spare no one. Got it?"

The three of them nodded. None of them were in the habit of hitting girls, at least not to their knowledge (it was hard to tell the Foot ninja apart in all their uniforms), but if it was part of the mission at hand, then they would have to do it. They couldn't forfeit their duty for a handful of street hookers.

"What's the signal?" Mikey asked.

"Good point," Leo answered. "I'll draw my swords. That's the signal. All right. Go!"

The four separated, and Raf headed straight for the bar. What better way to stay low than to sit out at the bar pretending to get drunk? He located an empty stool and plunked down. The bartender looked at him, waiting for an order, but Raf just glared at him.

"Yew lookin' ta fight?" said a gravelly voice next to him. Raf turned his head to look at the man sitting on the barstool on his left, where the voice had come from.

"Huh?" he said.

"I said, yew goin' ta fight? 'Cause if yew are, yew wanna look out for tha Devil."

Raf had no idea why this guy had decided to talk to him. He was clearly overweight, dressed in a pair of worn black jeans and a patched red and white plaid shirt, cut off at the shoulders, a grubby baseball cap on his head and a cigar in his mouth. The few teeth he had were brown and stained, and probably hadn't been brushed in years, and his eyes were glazed and out of focus. There was a half-empty mug of beer on the counter in front of him.

"Who's the Devil?" he asked, for the sake of making conversation.

"'Oo's the Devil?" the man repeated, choking in surprise. "'Ow can you not know who the Devil is?"

"I'm new here."

"The Tasmanian Devil is the meanest, most ruthless fighter down 'ere in the Underground. There's no one the Devil can't beat, no matter 'ow big or small or good. There's those that say, it's the eyes." He poked two fingers towards his own. "Got the eyes of a ghost, the Devil does. Uses 'em to strike fear into the 'arts of the bravest of men, and makes 'em lose."

Raf rolled his eyes, unseen under the shade of his hat. Great, now we were telling ghost stories. Still, if this washed-out lunatic was to be believed, this guy sounded tough and could be a problem for him and his brothers.

"Eh, whatever. So where do I find this 'Devil'?"

"Oh. She's right o'er there."

He pointed to a figure sitting slouched in a chair, alone at a table, and Raf turned to see, not a man, as he had been expecting, but a hard-faced girl. Her black hair was chopped short around her earlobes and looked like it hadn't been washed in days, her skin was a light, caramel brown, and though her clothes were too big for her, Raf could tell that she was skinny. She was wearing a pair of faded blue jeans with ripped hems and huge holes in the knees, a dirty wife-beater, and a beat up leather jacket. Black sneakers were on her feet, and she had diamond studs through her ears, though they probably weren't real diamonds. She looked like she was fourteen, but he was sure she had to be no older than himself. She was looking over at something, the side of her head facing them, so he couldn't get a good look at her face, but when she turned her head, Raf felt a chill run through him. In his now eighteen years of life, he had seen a lot of things, fighting alongside his brothers, and alone. He was not one to scare easily. But staring into this girl's eyes, something so unexpected and strange, he couldn't help but feel a little shiver of frightened surprise. Given her dark skin and hair, he could easily assume that she was some different race, either Asian, Hispanic, or Pacific Islander probably, and usually, unless they were wearing contacts, they had dark eyes. But, sunken deep into her high cheekbones, were no contact lenses, but very real, pale gray, almost colorless. Her small nose sat above thin lips that were pressed together, the jaw behind them clenched tightly. Her eyebrows were drawn together in a tight knot, and her arms were crossed over her chest. Alone at her table, she sat scowling at the world as she swept her spooky eyes over the scene around her.

"Her?" Raf questioned the man next to him, and he nodded. Raf snorted. "I could break her over my knee! You ain't serious, are ya?"

"I'm dead serious. She's taken on dudes twice yer size."

Raf couldn't see a skinny teenaged girl becoming the best fighter in the New York City Underground. Though, when the man had said that she had a ghost's eyes, he wasn't kidding. Still, Raf was sure it would take more than a pair of spooky eyes to break some of the men in this place. He would have loved to have a piece of the Tasmanian Devil himself, just to see if she was as good a fighter as this guy said he was, but he knew Leo would have a fit if he drew any sort of attention to himself. They were supposed to be staying low, after all.

The fight that had been going on in the middle of the room had been won, with the loser stumbling out of the ring, his face an unrecognizable mess of blood and tissue. Guns were not allowed in the ring, but other weapons such as knives were, and that was exactly what the victor was holding in his hand: a bloody switchblade that he held high into the air amid cheers from the onlooking crowd.

_He's gonna do some serious time for that,_ Raf thought to himself._ Those toys are illegal._ His hands automatically drifted to the sai at his belt, hidden beneath his trench coat, and he was greatly comforted by their presence. They always came in handy when he needed them.

The victor of the fight waited for the cheers to die down, then yelled in a loud, clear voice, "I challenge…the Tasmanian Devil!"

Immediately, the crowd went silent. Raf's head snapped to the girl. Her eyes looked upwards to the man who'd spoken, but the rest of her body was as still as a statue until she stood up, revealing that she was about as short as she was skinny. Raf would have put her around 5,4 or so.

"Challenge accepted," she said, in a voice that sounded bored. Her cold gray eyes blinked, and she stepped from her table on the outskirts into the ring, which was nothing more than an empty space on the floor surrounded by people. There, she stood with her arms relaxed at her sides while her opponent flicked a few droplets of blood off his blade. If he was trying to scare her, he was failing miserably. She stood coolly in one place, watching him as he paced back and forth in front of her, his switch clutched in his hand.

"You gonna come get me or you gonna stand there and gawp all day?" she asked in that same bored voice.

If this man knew anything about fighting with a short blade, then he would have to get into close range to use it. With nine or ten feet of space between them, it was pretty much useless. He would have to close the distance between them if he wanted to inflict any damage.

Which was exactly what he did. Or tried to do, anyway. He came at her with his blade out in front of him, holding it right in the middle so she couldn't go up or down to avoid it. When he reached her, Raf would have sworn it had actually pierced her if he hadn't seen the light flash off it as she moved only slightly to the side at the very last moment. He crashed into her, but though he was much bigger and heavier than her, he was the one who doubled over in pain as her entire forearm connected with his stomach. With her other hand, she secured the arm that was wielding the blade, and she bashed his elbow with her knee a couple of times before he let go. The moment the switch hit the ground, she kicked it away into the crowd, catching him a furious uppercut to the chin when he turned his head to follow it.

He reeled backwards, clutching his mouth, howling, and Raf smothered a laugh as he guessed that he had bitten through his own tongue. The Devil cracked the knuckles on both of her hands and twisted her head to both sides, the bones popping loud enough for everyone to hear. She didn't give her opponent a chance to recover. With a small grunt, she ran towards him, gaining speed rapidly even though it was a short distance, and slammed into him with her shoulder. He let out a horrible scream and dropped to the ground on his knees, clutching where she had hit him. Raf had to wince. Girls may have been smaller and weaker, but they had one advantage over the men, and that was it. He could remember a couple of times when either he or one of his brothers had been hit in that exact spot, and boy, did it hurt. Trust a woman to use that technique on her opponent to render him helpless for several minutes.

With him out of commission, she didn't hold back. She punched him in the face so many times Raf lost count, blood smearing onto her knuckles. Her face clenched, her lips pulled back into a snarl, baring her teeth, her nose wrinkled with exertion. Her eyes were suddenly alive with wild fire as she held him up by the shirt with one hand and pulverized his face with the other. For a skinny, lanky streetgirl, she suddenly looked downright terrifying.

And Raf had never seen anything so beautiful. He found himself staring at the way the sweat beaded on her forehead, the way her face flushed as her heartbeat picked up, her panting as she fought to keep her breath. He could not tear his eyes away when she jumped up, spun around and gave her opponent a final kick before she landed on her feet and he crumbled over to the side, probably unconscious or in too much pain to move. She threw her head back and ripped off her jacket as the crowd erupted in to cheers around her, and Raf was mesmerized. The sweat glistening on her brown skin, her face flushed, her lips engorged and dark pink with blood, her small chest heaving with effort. This was a different kind of beauty, a kind that neither Rachel nor even A.J. possessed. A proud, fearless, defiant, reckless beauty that was, in its own way, stunning. She basked in the cheers of the crowd, a greedy smile on her lips, and she closed her eyes.

Seeing her like that…it made him think of another situation where she could end up like this, hot, sweaty and breathless…

_Whoa get a grip, dude,_ he thought to himself. This was a mission to shut down a very big operation. The last thing he needed was to get distracted by any fantasies.

And speaking of distractions…

Raf felt a gentle touch on his shoulder, and swiveled around on the barstool to find a woman with long, stringy, dirty blonde hair that tumbled in messy curls around her shoulders and down her back. She was wearing heavy black and blue eye makeup, bright red lipstick, and a corset that did anything but flatter her small breasts.

_Great. A Rocky Horror Picture Show reject._

He shrugged her off. From all his time out on the streets, he knew a hooker when he saw one, though the ones that hung out here probably dressed up a little more than the ones on the street. Probably to increase business.

Turning his eyes back to the Tasmanian Devil, he saw her walk up to a small man in a business suit, hold out her hand expectedly, and he counted out several bills, which he then placed into her outstretched palm. Her winnings for the fight. She closed her fist around the money without a word of thanks, then strode over to the bar, flopping down two stools down from Raf. Hailing the bartender, she ordered a beer, and he set it down in front of her without hesitation.

Raf resisted the urge to punch him in the face. Not only did they allow illegal fighting, prostitution, and switchblades, but they sold alcohol to minors. Boy, this just kept getting better and better, didn't it?

Not only that, but the minors bought the alcohol as well! What happened to the days when kids hung out in pizza parlors and drank soda? What was the world coming to?

"Hey!" he said, and the Devil looked up, piercing him with those icy eyes of hers. Her face hardened, and Raf couldn't blame her. He was dressed in a trench coat and hat, probably looking and sounding years older that he really was, and appeared your average, stereotypical pervert.

"What?" she asked shortly, pulling her jacket back on.

"Ya know, you don't look old enough to be buyin' that stuff."

"What does it matter to you?"

"Nothin' I'm just sayin'…"

"Yeah, well fuck off pal, or I'll kick your ass inta next week."

She didn't say it like she was trying to frighten him. She said it like she meant it. Wow. A bad temper and a filthy mouth to go right along with it.

"I ain't interested in rapin' you," he said, though in his head he was thinking that sex with her might not be a very bad idea.

She looked a little taken aback by his bluntness, and took a swig of her beer.

"Then what are you interested in?"

"The fact that you're buyin' alcohol when you clearly don't look twenty-one."

"You a cop?"

"Huh-uh."

"Well, it ain't like they care. As long as they get their money, they don't care who the fuck is buyin' their liquor."

There was a touch on his shoulders again. The Picture Show reject was back, looking a little more desperate this time. Raf pulled the brim of his hat down lower and tried to ignore her, but she didn't leave. Finally, he opened his mouth to tell the girl that he didn't have anything for her, but the Devil beat him to it.

"Hey, fuck off! He ain't interested! Beat it!"

The whore jumped at the sound of her voice, and fled.

"Stupid bitch!" she called after her retreating back.

"You shouldn't talk to a lady like that," he said when she had gone. The Devil snorted, and took another swig of her beer.

"Psshh. Those bitches ain't ladies. They're pathetic cocksuckers who're either too stupid or too lazy to find a real job. You a priest or somethin'? 'Cause this is a place for sinners, not saints."

"I ain't a priest," Raf muttered, throwing a look over his shoulder at Leo, but he hadn't pulled his swords yet. Good Lord, this girl was even worse that he thought. She was beautiful, in a scary sort of way, but she was rude, disrespectful, and overall unfriendly to everyone around her. She needed help, but she wouldn't find it in prison, which would be exactly where she'd end up. Raf wondered about her past, and what had turned her into such a cold, steeled fighting machine.

"Good, 'cause the only way outta here for a priest is in a body bag."

They were silent for a time, and Raf had to chuckle quietly. She sounded just like him, or at least how he used to be: mean, short with his sentences, and hardly a nice thing to say about anybody. He wondered if her fuse was as short as his had been, or if she was better at controlling her temper than he had been.

But he was different now. In the past few months, since he and Leo had had their fight up on the roof of the Red Eye Club, he had realized just what an idiot he was, and that the reason his family was so broken up and uncooperative was largely due to him. If he had just shut up and gotten over himself, things would have gone a lot smoother, and a whole bunch of unpleasant events could have been prevented. But they hadn't, and some lessons were better learned the hard way anyway.

In all this time, he suddenly realized that he didn't know her real name. He didn't expect her to tell him, of course, nor did he wish to imply anything by asking her name. She was, after all, a criminal, and would be in jail by the end of the night.

"What's your name?" he asked anyway.

"What's yours?" was the reply.

"I can't tell ya."

"Then why the fuck ask mine?" she snarled, and got down from the barstool and left, taking her beer with her.

At that moment, Raf heard the _pssshhiinnggg!_ of Leo's swords as he drew them from their scabbards, and twisted his head around to catch a brief glimpse as his brothers leapt into action. Thinking quickly, he jumped up onto the bar and backflipped off, undoing the tied belt of his coat and pulling out his sai as he did so. He threw the hat from his head so he could see better, and knocked out two with his feet just before he landed, then whirled around to face the room of brawling, brutal buffoons, the bloodlust of battle boiling within him.

Mayhem ensued.

* * *

"Okay, I think that's the last of them," said Donny, dragging the final unconscious body and throwing it into the pile. 

"Not so tough now, are ya, huh dudes?" teased Mikey, kicking a bloodied hand with his foot. The body it was attached to was buried somewhere at the bottom of the pile.

"Mikey, quit," said Leo sharply, pulling his trench coat closed after sheathing his swords. "You three keep watch while I go call the police. Make sure that no one wakes up, and if they do, knock them out again." Putting his hat back onto his head, he left the bar to go in search of a payphone, reaching into the pocket for the bag of spare change A.J. had given him. As the other three posted a watch around the pile of bodies, they heard a low groan as someone slowly came back into consciousness.

"I'll get it," said Raf, and circled the pile to find the source of the noise.

He recognized the leather jacket and the short black hair as the Tasmanian Devil moved to get up. She had been lying on her face, and had her back to him. She didn't even see Raf as he came up behind her.

"Sorry darlin'," he said, not waiting for her to turn around as he brought his hand crashing down on the back of her head.

**Ouchies. Okay, hands: who hates the Devil already? Heehee, 'cause if you don't now, trust me, you will.**

**As you can see, Raf is a little more in tune with his…_feelings_ than Leo was. Don't question me about that, all will be revealed. Just hang in there. So yeah, crazy stuff. Leave a review, please! What do you think will happen? Lizzie, you already know, so you can't say. XP**


	5. Chapter 5: Ghosts

**Holy crap you guys: seven reviews for the last chapter?!_ Seven?!!_ That is the most I've ever gotten in one sitting; thank you all so very, very much! I'm totally psyched!  
**

** So I'll give all seven of you a special thanks: ladycordelia17, imthegreenfairy88, Psychobillybutterfly, my wonderful Lizzy, OSR4ever, smallncrazy91, and PreMaturePoet. This chapter is dedicated in your honor!**

**So, you guys remember Rachel from the last story? Well, now you shall meet her. I decided to tell their story in a series of flashbacks, but keep in mind these are only from Raf's point of view, so they may seem a little shallow. I think I might still tell their story in a separate document, simply because there's so much more that just what Raf sees, but for now, just read the flashbacks that are indicated by italics.**

**One final note concerning ladycordelia17's review: Yes, this is indeed the Sasha I mentioned previously, and yes, Raf's brain tends to spend more time in the gutter than all his brothers combined, and that includes Leo, who now has a girlfriend that he's having sex with. And don't worry, it only gets worse...XP**

She was a criminal. She had fought in an illegal organization, probably caused severe injury to several people, drank alcohol underage and maybe did drugs as well. She was hardened, mean, and downright unpleasant, and deserved to be locked up for the rest of her life.

Why then, did it seem so wrong?

Raf paced the rooftop like a caged animal, though there was plenty of space around him in which to run. He had given up being the Nightwatcher for the good of his family, so that wasn't why he was up here. Sometimes, he just needed a little air to clear his head and get his thoughts in order, or at least try.

It had been a couple of weeks since he and his brothers had busted the Underground, and all of its participants, or at least the ones who had been present that night, were being held in prison, most of them on bail. The Tasmanian Devil had been on his mind the entire time, refusing to leave him alone. The news had released her name as Sasha Marie LeQuinn. She was eighteen years old, and she was one of those who was not being held on bail. Being the best fighter in the Underground, she was too dangerous to be on the streets, so the authorities refused to release her.

It was good that she was in jail. It was where she deserved to be.

But it didn't seem right to Raf.

He sat down on the edge of the roof, his head in his hands, trying to figure out why. Maybe it was because he had taken a liking to her that night, her fierceness seeming so beautiful to him. Maybe it was because she was so young, despite that fact that she would now be tried as an adult. No doubt she would be given life in prison for her crimes, and very likely without a chance for an appeal. That was no way to grow up, especially for a young woman. She could change: she was only a kid. They still had time, didn't they? After all, wasn't that what he had done?

Maybe it was because he saw something of himself in her, something he wanted to make better, that made this seem all wrong. He had been like her, almost exactly, and not long ago. The same, "I don't care" attitude, the same overly confident face, and the exact same haunted look deep in the eyes that said only to those who were looking that they were meant for something so much better than what life had handed them. If he could take her under his shell, show her that what she was doing was no way to live, then maybe he could save her from a life of pain and degradation, kicked around like the no-good streetkid she was. He wanted to hand her that something better, give her a chance. Suddenly, he felt driven to help someone else, someone who was worse off than he was.

_Wow,_ he thought. _I sound like Leo._

Now he knew how his brother had felt.

He shifted his hands so they were supporting his head under his chin and frowned at the air vent in front of him, a plan beginning to form in his mind. What he asked would not be easy, and there would be no way he was going to get his brothers to agree to help him out. To them, the job was over and done with, and everyone who was in prison deserved to be there. In order to do what he wanted, he would have to spring her out of jail, which was going to be difficult in itself. And that was just the first part. The second involved bringing her down to his home, the one place he knew she'd be safe, unless she had family or friends she could stay with. Given that she was hanging out in the Underground, however, it was probably safe to say that she didn't have either one, or maybe that her home, like so many others out there, was broken, dysfunctional, or any manner of upsetting unpleasantries. There was really no reason for a kid to be messing around a place like that, especially a young girl. And, if she didn't have anywhere else to go, then the choice was clear. When he looked at all the options, only one was appropriate. It was all up to him now.

_No one else out there is gonna save her,_ he thought, rising to his feet. _So it's gotta be me._

It wasn't going to be an easy road, he could see, but once he set his mind to something, he stuck to it, no matter what the cost. He was just stubborn like that.

He sat back down, beginning to formulate his plan. First, he was going to have to get her out of jail. Getting onto the grounds wouldn't be very hard; he'd done it a million times with other high-security buildings. However, there was one problem: he couldn't go in looking like this. Not only would he put his family in danger, but he was willing to bet that it would be hard to convince Sasha the Tasmanian Devil to run away with a giant mutated turtle. He would freak the heck out of her. No, he had to have some sort of disguise if he was going to go through with this.

Maybe it was time to bust out the Nightwatcher suit again.

He smirked. Thinking about the Nightwatcher brought back memories, memories of him and a certain young lady he had met one night, who captured his attention, his interest, and his heart.

_It was a night very much like this one: cold and snowy, probably sometime in late November, when a girl's scream rang out, piercing the frigid air like a bullet. Raf, dressed up as the Nightwatcher, heard the cry while hiding out in an alley not far away, waiting for something to happen, some reason for his services to be needed. At the sound, he snapped to attention, fired up his bike's engine, and roared off in the direction of the scream._

_What he found when he arrived on the scene were two jokers holding a gun in a teenaged girl's face, demanding that she hand over whatever she had. She kept insisting that she had nothing of value on her, but that if she did she would have given it to them. The guy with the gun smashed it across her face and insisted she stop lying to them, though she repeated to them that she had nothing. Raf could see the pain clearly in her eyes from the blow, and felt his temper flare. Anyone who had the gall to strike a defenseless girl for no reason deserved a good pounding, and that was exactly what Raf did. Not even bothering with his chains, he jumped off his bike and landed the man with the gun a powerful hook to the chin, cracking his jaw and knocking him flat. As soon as he was down on the ground, Raf stomped on the gun, grinding all of his weight onto it, crushing it into the asphalt. One word of protest from the man on the ground and Raf kicked him in the face, knocking him out and silencing him. When he turned his head to the other guy, he let out a scream that rivaled the girl's and ran off down the street, yelling his head off._

_Raf let him go. He wasn't the one with the gun, and he hadn't been the one threatening her. On the contrary, he had been the one telling his buddy that the girl was probably telling the truth and that they probably should stop picking on her. He still had dirt on his hands, but it wasn't enough for Raf to waste his time. He turned back to the girl._

_"You all right?" he asked her._

_"Yeah, fine," she replied, peeling herself off the wall and straightening her T-shirt. It was a black polo with the name of the pizza place that was down the street embroidered on the right front corner._

_Though she was in one piece and breathing, Raf could see that she had a small cut on her cheekbone, probably from where the man had hit her with the butt of his gun. Unseen by her, he gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes, but then let it go when he remembered that the weapon was demolished and the wielder was unconscious. She didn't seem to notice, even though it was bleeding a little, so he looked at it with his thumb._

_"What's this?" he asked, more to alert her of the injury than anything else. When her brows creased slightly, he realized that, indeed she didn't know that she was bleeding, and only just realized it because of her reflection in the glass of his helmet._

_"It's nothing," she said quickly, shaking her head out of his grip. "Just a little cut."_

_"It's startin' to bruise," Raf pressed, not really sure why he was suddenly playing nursemaid. He was wondering why he was suddenly caring about her at all, and the only reason he could come up with was that he thought she was cute._

_"It's fine," she insisted, brushing his hand away, and he let her, mentally shrugging his shoulders. She obviously didn't like people fussing over her, so he dropped it. Kind of reminded him of himself._

_Looking at her, he could see that she was very pretty, in sort of a plain, normal person way. Her long, light brown hair was pulled into a ponytail on the back of her head, and her skin was tanned bronze, even in the wintertime. She wasn't every short, nor was she very tall, and she didn't look anorexically skinny, but she wasn't grossly obese, either. There was nothing fine or delicate about her features, but they weren't strong or set either. They were just a pair of lips, cheekbones and a nose, but it was her eyes that set her out of the "normal people" category. He could tell that they were blue, but when she turned a certain way, or the light caught them at a certain angle with a certain ray, they turned a light shade of purple, or at least appeared to. He marveled at these eyes for a minute, glad that his face was hidden by his helmet, for it would have been rather awkward to be caught staring. Still, with eyes like hers, he would have thought she'd be used to it._

_Her voice broke his reverie._

_"Thanks for saving me. I'm Rachel, by the way."_

_"Nice to meetcha, Rachel," he replied. "Can I take you home?"_

_What was wrong with that? He was the Nightwatcher, after all. It was his job to see that the citizens of New York City were safe at night._

_But that hadn't been the only reason, had it?_

_Absolutely not._

_"It's just down the street," she said, pointing to the apartment complex at the end of the cul-de-sac, and he had stared at her. No wonder she had been wandering around in this neighborhood, which wasn't the best, and certainly no place for a young girl to be, especially at night and out on the streets. She lived here. Suddenly, her ripped, faded blue jeans and beat up Converse sneakers made sense. She didn't have a lot of money, which was probably why she was working the evening shift at a downtown pizza place._

_"Never hurts to be careful," he said. "A girl like you shouldn't ever wander the streets alone, even for a few minutes. 'Specially after dark."_

_"Yeah, 'cause all the monsters come out at night, right?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"Well, all right then."_

_"Come on."_

_He led her out of the alley where he had rescued her over to where he had parked his bike, and swung himself up on it. Seeing her hesitation, he grinned under his helmet, then stretched out his hand to her._

_"Well come on. It ain't gonna bite 'cha."_

_She still eyed the monstrosity with skepticism, but did as she was told, approaching with a confident, yet cautious pace. He grabbed her under the arms and lifted her up with ease, given that she probably didn't weigh much more than a hundred and twenty pounds. In a way, he felt like a father picking up his young daughter for a ride, or at least that was what it probably looked like._

_"Whoa!" she said as he swept her up, then settled her down in front of him, tucked safely into the curve of his body. It was probably better for her there, because if he put her behind him, she probably wouldn't be able to get a firm grip around his back, because his shell was in the way. Once he'd gotten her settled, he kicked the bike's engine into life, and she jumped at the sudden bellow beneath her. Though it was probably more due to surprise than actual fear, Raf didn't know that, and reached over to pat her leg, realizing too late that that probably wasn't the best place to touch her to comfort her, but by then he'd already done it._

_"Don't be afraid," he said. "I ain't gonna hurtcha."_

_Then, without giving her time to reply, he pulled the bike up on one wheel, which for him was cool, but it was also stupid, because he scared her again, only this time she screamed as she slid back a couple inches. He saw her claw the front of the bike in an effort to stay still, but it didn't help, and she slammed into his chest and stopped. Putting the bike back down again, they took off down the street, and in a few seconds, they were in front of the apartment complex._

_"Wow," she said as he killed the engine, put the kickstand down and climbed off before picking her up and setting her down. "What a ride! I bet you could give the Ghost Rider a run for his money!"_

_"Heh, heh. Nah, he's got me beat big time. He can drive on buildings."_

_And she shared his interest in _Ghost Rider_ comic books. He was really starting like this girl._

_She stared at him._

_"Wow. And I thought I was the only dork in the world who read those comics."_

_"Yeah, me too. Is this where I drop ya?"_

_"Uh-huh," she said, heading for the fire escape._

_"You ain't gonna use the front door?" he asked as she started up the ladder._

_"Nope," she replied. "The fire escape goes right to my bedroom window, so I won't disturb my mom."_

_"Well here," he said, catching her around the waist and pulling her back down, slinging her over his shoulder as he did so. He heard her grunt as the air rushed out of her lungs from her stomach connecting with his shoulder. "It'll go faster if I do it."_

_With practiced ease, he scaled the fire escape, not bothering with the ladders because he didn't need them, while she clung to the straps that ran around his back and chest and tried not to open her eyes._

_"Which floor?" he asked her, realizing that he had no idea how high up he was supposed to go._

_"Fifteenth," she squeaked, and because he was already on the seventh, he continued upward. When they reached their destination, he deposited her by her window, then prepared to jump off._

_"Wait!" she cried, and he stopped. "What's your name?"_

_He paused for a minute, not really sure how to answer that. Obviously, she didn't recognize his costume, which for him was a surprise, because by now, nearly everyone in the city knew who he was._

_"Why do ya wanna know my name?" he asked._

_She gave him a look like he was an idiot, and cocked one hip to the side._

_"You didn't respond when I told you mine.. The least you could do is tell me yours now, before you run off."_

_"I'm the Nightwatcher, babe," he said nonchalantly. "Savin' people is what I do."_

_And with that, he let go of the handrail he'd been holding on to, did a backflip, and fell through the air, landing on his feet and hands on the street below. Reaching his bike, he fired up the engine and roared off down the street, leaving the apartment complex and Rachel behind._

_

* * *

_

The next evening, Raf purposefully awoke earlier than his brothers, which was saying something, because he was usually the last one to rise. A lot of the time Leo and Donny had to drag him out by his ankles, grumbling and snarling and snapping, but eventually he'd be up and ready to go. Tonight though, he got up of his own accord, sheer drive and determination enough for him to raise his body from the bed and put his gear on. It didn't matter if it was a night off or not, Raf had a mission. A mission where he could not really predict the outcome, but that would not stop him.

Quietly slipping past Mikey and Donny, with whom he still shared the room, he poked his head out of the door and looked down the hall to see if Leo was awake. For a moment, he was stung by jealousy that his brother got his own room, but he knew it was for the best. He and A.J. liked to have some private time together, without him or the others interfering.

Satisfied the Leo was still asleep, he crept out of his room and closed the door, then tiptoed down the hall. Peeking over the railing, he saw that there was light flickering under the door to Master Splinter's rooms, but there was no indication that he was going to leave. He always rose before his sons, but, knowing that they were growing and needed their sleep, he never woke them. With that out of the way, he descended the stairs to the living room, where he ran into a problem that he had not been anticipating.

A.J.

She was sitting on the couch with her feet up on the coffee table, a notebook on her lap and a textbook next to her, a pencil in her hand. Since they had decided that she was trustworthy enough, they had shown her how to get in and out of their lair, where the pipes were that opened the doors, and where they were located. They had slowly traced the path from the closest sewer cap to her home that wasn't in the middle of the street where people would see her, to the lair, so that if she ever found herself in trouble, she would have a safe place to come and hide, and be able to get in even if they weren't there. As a result, they often woke up to find her there on the couch or the dinner table, doing homework, reading, or watching TV.

Tonight was such a night, but she had caught Raf unawares, as he had not been expecting to find her there, though she was over quite a lot, usually when she didn't have a huge load of homework or a paper she needed to write.

Rats. He couldn't sneak past her, but he couldn't go back to bed and forget the whole thing altogether. He really didn't want to tell her where he was going, because he was pretty sure she wouldn't like what she heard. There was no other option. He would just have to face her, and lie.

She raised her head at the sound of his feet on the stairs, and a light, confused smile crossed her lips.

"Well hello, Raf. You're up early. It's only four-thirty."

"Is it dark out yet?" he asked.

"Umm, the sun was starting to set when I started heading down here. Why?"

"Nothin'. I'm just goin' out."

"Got something on your mind?"

He paused for a moment. Yeah, he had a lot on his mind, but if he told her, she might try to convince him to sit down and talk to her about it. And, as much as he probably needed to talk to someone about it, he really didn't want to.

"Yeah," he said, and headed into the room where Master Splinter kept all the remnants and things they had collected from their past adventures. This was where his Nightwatcher helmet and suit were stashed, the former on a shelf on display, the latter in a duffel bag in a corner somewhere, gathering dust. When he retrieved both, he went back into the living room, where he had to pass A.J. again. She looked up again as he started back up the stairs, and her eyes narrowed. She recognized the helmet under his arm, but she didn't say anything, as he was afraid she would. She simply let him get all the way to the top of the staircase before her voice stopped him.

"Hey, Raf."

"Eh?"

"Be careful."

He contemplated saying something in reply, but decided that sometimes, words were just not necessary, and pulled on the pipe and left when the hidden doors opened.

* * *

Dressed as the Nightwatcher, Raf fired up his motorcycle, which hadn't been used in a few months and took a few tries to finally kick into gear. But once it did, it purred just like normal, and Raf had no trouble steering it out of its hiding place and out onto the streets, where he took off with a roar, heading in the direction of the prison where the members of the Underground were being held, along with the Tasmanian Devil.

* * *

The prison was on the other side of town from where he'd concealed his bike, and though he swerved in and out of traffic, disappeared down side streets where there were no other cars and made all sorts of illegal turns and speed limits, it still took him about an hour to get there. Once there, he hid his bike, then circled the place, looking for an ideal way in. There were the usual defenses: spotlights and barbed wire fence, guards, and probably dogs as well, hiding out in reserve. There were probably other things like locked doors and video cameras, but none of this concerned Raf. As a ninja, he had ways of getting past security and into the places he wanted. He and his brothers had done it a million times before when sneaking onto Foot headquarters, or wherever they needed to be. Jumping clean over the fence and avoiding the barbed wire altogether, he stayed in the shadows, hidden from the guards and the video cameras, and, crouching by a door, he waited until someone opened it from the inside, upon which he grabbed the door and pulled it open, knocking the man behind it (he turned out to be a janitor) clean into the wall with a slap of his hand, where his head cracked against the plaster and he sank to the ground and didn't move.

Now that he was inside, he had two things he had to worry about: avoiding any personnel that might be wandering about, and finding Sasha. Then, once he'd done that, all he had to worry about was getting out of there. After that, well…he hadn't thought that far ahead yet, and didn't want to. Better to take this one step at a time.

He crept along the bright corridors, cursing the halogens that beat down on his costume as though the light they produced actually had weight and hindered his progress. As he had no idea where he was going or where to start looking, he just meandered, looking into the barred window of every cell he passed, hoping to see the black hair and pale eyes of his goal. Finally, after what felt like hours, he found her.

She was sitting on the floor, staring at her shoes. Her knees were drawn up to her chest and she was resting her chin on them, her arms wrapped up beneath her thighs, dressed in the bright orange prison uniform. The windows were only bars and nothing else, which was good, because it made conversation easy. Raf drew up close to the door, looked several times in both directions to make sure no one was coming, and then leaned up against the window.

**Cliffhanger, hahahahaha! What will Raf do? What will Sahsa do? You want to find out? Then you know what you have to do! **


	6. Chapter 6: Sasha's Rescue

**Well you guys, here it is! The chapter you've all been waiting for! I must say this was a lot of fun to write, not only because of the way the two of them interact with each other, but due to all of the New York/Brooklyn dialect that I had to write out. Having lived on the West Coast all my life, I really have no idea how they actually speak, so I hope I did it justice, while also making it legible. **

**Enjoy! **

"Psst! Sasha! Sasha LeQuinn!"

Her head shot up at the sound of her name, and she was on her feet in an instant, fists clenched, ready to fight. She stared hard at the window, trying to make out what was speaking to her because it was so small she didn't get even all of Raf's helmet, and her eyes narrowed. She raised her fists, knowing that whatever was behind that door wasn't one of the prison guards.

"What do you want?" she asked boldly, but not loudly.

Raf didn't have any time for her hot temper.

"Shut up," he hissed through the bars as he used his sai to pick the lock on the door, which was thankfully a key lock, and not a card. "I'm bustin' you outta here."

Her brows immediately twisted together with suspicion, though he couldn't say he blamed her. She didn't know who he was, and help was the last thing she expected. To be offered help from a stranger was enough to trigger anyone's alarms, but to a street fighter, it could very well be a death sentence. He would have to tread carefully. She would be on her guard, ready to snap if he gave any indication of wanting to harm her. Next to that, she was probably frightened, and he would have to watch his back.

The lock clicked, and he pulled the door open. Sheathing his sai behind him, he beckoned her, but she just stood there, glaring at him.

"Come on!" he whispered urgently.

She shrank back a little farther behind her upraised fists.

"Why should I? You could be anybody."

Though he could see where she was coming from, he was beginning to get agitated. What was wrong with her? She didn't mean she actually _wanted _to stay here, did she? Didn't she want to get the heck out of there?

"Aw, for cryin' out loud!" he growled at her. "I ain't gonna hurtcha. Now come on before someone sees us!"

"Why should I trust you?"

"I'm gettin' you out, all right? That should be enough for you. Now come on."

He gestured with his arm, sweeping it from the inside of the room out. She looked around, obviously expecting a trap, but seeing none, she walked out of her cell. Raf closed the door without a sound. He looked at her, and she looked back.

"Follow me," he said, and began to creep down the hall, trying to make as little noise as possible. His suit was good for the streets, because the louder he sounded when he stomped towards a delinquent, the more terrifying he was. But it was no good for sneaky jobs like this, because his boots were heavy, and he was covered in armor plates, which ground together with his movements, and made being silent very difficult. He could hear her sneakers tapping the floor behind him, and then her voice said, "If you try somethin', I'll kick your ass. I may not look it, but I'm the best fighter in the New York City Underground, and I can take on anythin' that comes my way. So you better…"

"Yeah yeah, I know. I saw ya take out that guy with the switch before I busted your little operation."

"You were there?"

"Yep. I'm the reason you're here."

"Then why are you helpin' me?"

"You're eighteen years old. That's way too young to spend the rest of your life in the slammer, and that's what you'll get if I leave ya here."

That shut her up as they made their way towards an exit, pondering spending the rest of her life in prison. This was a relief for Raf, who could now focus all his energy on getting them out of there instead of fighting with her.

And they had a couple of close calls. Once or twice he had to grab ahold of her and pull her out of sight to avoid detection from security guards. And, once they had made it out of the building, she put up a little resistance when he tried to throw her over his shoulder in order for them both to make it over the fence. He didn't even try to reason with her. He had known this was going to be difficult, but could see now that it was going to be more difficult than he had originally predicted. He picked her up quickly and without any warning, and hopped the fence again, all those years of jumping across buildings making that very easy, even with her weight, which was practically nothing. He was willing to bet that she weighed only a little less than A.J. did, even due to her height. She was just so skinny. He could feel her ribcage as he set her back down on the ground.

Other than that, they had no problems. Those started outside the barbed wire fence.

Once they were out of the prison grounds, she spoke again.

"Now what?"

"You got family or friends you can go to?"

"Huh-uh. I got a hotel room a few miles from here. I'll go there."

"You need a ride?"

"I'll call a cab."

"You're still in your prison uniform."

She looked down at herself.

"Oh, yeah."

"No self-respectin' cab driver is gonna pick you up and take you anywhere, 'cept maybe back to the police station. You're comin' with me. I know a place where you'll be safe."

She glared at him.

"You tryin' to pull somethin'?"

"If I was you woulda found out by now."

"I ain't goin' anywhere with you," she said, taking a few steps backward and folding her arms over her scrawny chest.

Raf's eyes flicked around, taking in his surroundings, deciding which would be the best way to really teach her a lesson. There wasn't much, but there was plenty of space for him to throw her to the ground.

"Oh, are ya?" he asked slyly, the turned over to where he'd hidden his bike: behind a shed of some sort nearby. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her eyes flash, and then she glared again. He could tell she didn't like his tone of voice.

"I ain't. Who the hell do you think you are, anyway, orderin' me around like your fuckin' slave?"

Raf was getting real tired of her bitching. Pretty soon, if she gave him any more grief, he was going to have to get tough with her. He pulled his bike out of hiding, kicking the kickstand back down so it would stand up without his support. He had just rescued her from jail, a place she deserved to be, from a fate she deserved to have, and here she was, talking smack to him in the most ungrateful manner he had ever heard.

She wanted to know who he was? Fine. Time to get his point across. She'd have to know anyway: what better time than now? He pulled his helmet off and turned around.

"You can call me Raphael," he said to her, his hard brown eyes meeting her gray ones. He waited for her to scream, faint, or try to run. She did none of those. Instead, she stumbled backward and tripped on her own feet, falling hard on her elbows. There on her back, she gaped at him, a look between horror and amazement on her face.

"Holy fuckin' shit!" she yelled. Raf rolled his eyes.

"Not only am I gonna have to fix your attitude, but we gotta somethin' about that filthy mouth a' yours."

She acted as though she hadn't heard him.

"What the hell are you?"

"We'll talk about that later. Now come on. Let's get outta here before someone sees you've escaped."

He reached for her hand, and she shrank away.

"Don't touch me!"

Raf ignored her, bent down, and seized her arm.

"Once the attendants notice you're gone, the entire NYPD'll be out lookin' for ya. I ain't gonna let 'em getcha, so I'm takin' you to the only place I know they won't find ya: the sewers."

She pulled hard on her arm, trying to get out of his grip.

"Huh-uh," she said, shaking her head. "You're not takin me anywhere, and you can't make me do anythin' you say!"

She struggled, and Raf let go of her arm, making her fall back against the dirt. Realizing that she was free, she rolled over and scrambled up, starting to run.

"Oh yeah?" Raf called after her, and gave chase. He was on her in three steps. Sweeping her legs out from under her, he drove her to the ground, grabbing one of her wrists and twisting it violently behind her back, pinning her head down with his other hand. She let out a cry of pain and struggled, her free hand clawing the dirt next to her head, but she was no match.

"Look," he grunted in exertion. For a human, she was pretty strong, and was putting up a decent fight. He had to nod to her; she knew how to take her hits. "We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way. I'd much prefer the former, but if ya want the latter, that can easily be arranged. Get my drift?"

"Get off me, damn you!" she yelled. In response, he twisted her arm up higher.

"Shut up. You'll wake the whole city with your hollerin'. I'm bigger and stronger than you are, so there's no use fightin' me, 'cause you'll lose. I'm doin' you a favor here and it's for your own good, so you'd better be grateful. Now, are you gonna behave, or do I gotta dislocate your shoulder?"

She stopped struggling, and became very sullen. Once she was still, he released her, climbed off and stood up, pulling her to her feet.

"All right, fine," she growled as she turned around and wiped dirt off her mouth, which had begun to turn to grime with the saliva from her lips. "But don't think I'm enjoyin' this."

"That makes two of us. Now close your eyes."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

She made a noise of frustration in her throat, but she closed her eyes anyway. Making sure she wasn't peeking, he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder again. She let out a yell of surprise as he proceeded to transport her over to his bike.

"You wanna warn somebody before ya do that?"

"If you continue to treat me like your no-good fightin' buddies, then no."

"They ain't my 'buddies'. They're just guys I beat up for money."

"Whatever. But you're gonna learn to treat others with respect, and you're gonna start with me."

"Jesus. First ya drag me off against my will, then you give me a goddamn lecture about respectin' others? What's the fuckin' deal here, man? I don't need this shit."

Raf had to stifle laughter as he reached his motorcycle. Boy, was she sooooo wrong. Despite what she said, she did need this "shit", as she so lovingly put it. She needed safety, and she needed a serious attitude adjustment. She was proud, rude and stubborn as a mule, not to mention calloused and totally disrespectful. She was going to be quite a basket case, if she wasn't one already.

"Believe me, where you're goin', if ya don't treat others decently, the consequences ain't fun. I'm tellin' you this now so ya don't have to learn the hard way." Although, in the back of his mind, maybe the hard way would be the only way they could get their lessons through her thick skull. A good pounding on the dojo floor by either himself or Leo would teach her that she wasn't as good a fighter as she thought she was, and maybe getting beaten horribly in an argument with Donny would teach her not to open her big mouth and insult others out of sheer petulance. "For example…"

He took her off his shoulder and set her down on the front of his bike, facing him. As he had suspected, her eyes were open, and had probably been open since the minute he picked her up. He sighed. Yep, he had a real basket case on his hands. She was beginning to make him wonder if he should have just left her in jail.

"Your eyes are open, after I told ya to close 'em. Since ya can't do what someone asks ya to do, and ya can't respect privacy, I'm gonna have to blindfold ya."

"What?!" she cried.

"Keep your voice down," he growled. "How many times do I have to tell ya to shut up?"

He reached up, untied his mask, and began to wrap it around her head. Because of the abundance of material, it went over her eyes several times, ensuring first that she couldn't open her eyes, and that she would be able to see nothing but red if she did. He tied it securely behind her head so she couldn't take it off, then went over to retrieve his helmet from where he'd dropped it when he'd gone after her to pin her down.

"What's with all this?" she asked when she felt his weight fall onto the seat next to her, as she was sitting sideways on the bike.

"You can't know where I live," he replied, his voice slightly muffled because of his helmet. Reaching over, he grabbed her leg by the knee and pulled it over the side of the bike so that she was straddling it the same way he was.

"I ain't gonna tell," she protested as he did this, but she let him twist her body around, surprisingly supple and pliant under his hands. Raf felt a slight tingle run through his body as he touched her, but kept his wits about him.

"I don't trust ya."

_And neither will my family,_ he thought as he pulled her body to his, once again reminding him of Rachel, though under very different circumstances. He hadn't stopped to think about how they were going to react when they realized that he was bringing a criminal into their home. They would probably be very upset: no, they _would_ be very upset, but maybe he could make them see sense. Maybe, once they realized how much she needed them, they might let her stay.

At least, maybe his brothers might. Master Splinter, however, would be an entirely different story.

"Damn!" she said, breaking his thoughts as she elbowed him fiercely in the chest and stomach. "You gotta chest hard as a fuckin' rock! What are ya made of, steel?"

"I wish," he muttered as he gunned the engine and made her yell, "Holy shit!"

"Both hands on the bike!" he roared over the sound, and guided her hands to the handlebars, where she could hold on and have no fear of falling off. "Hold tight."

He revved the engine, and they sprayed dirt as they spun around in a doughnut and headed into the city.

* * *

The trip back took even longer than the trip over, because Raf had to use streets less traveled and darker corners to avoid anyone seeing her and reporting the sighting to the police. Not that they would recognize her, because he was going too fast for anyone to get a good look at them, and she had the red bandanna tied around her head that masked part of her face, but they _would _recognize a bright orange jumpsuit that could only come from a prison or a costume party, and the average Joe or Jane probably wouldn't assume the latter. So Raf didn't want to take any chances. Plus, he needed to get her thoroughly mixed up so she wouldn't be able to figure out where their lair was. By the time he had reached the garage where he hid his bike, it was nearing midnight.

He picked Sasha up off the bike and set her down, grabbing his duffle bag and rolling the manhole cover that was nearby away.

"Come here," he said to her, and she came, holding her hands out in front of her and scuffling her feet along the floor so she didn't trip or run into anything.

Even though it was a straight shot from the bike to the entrance. She, however, didn't know that, because she couldn't see.

"When do I get to take this stupid thing off?" she asked as she neared her destination.

"In a minute," Raf said, and her pace picked up at the sound of his voice, now that she had a better idea of where she was supposed to be going. When she reached him, Raf was tempted to take her hand, but decided against it. She wasn't sweet like A.J. was, and probably wouldn't welcome the gesture. Still, blindfolded and helpless like this, she was actually sort of tolerable, save for her mouth.

_Maybe I should keep her like this all the time,_ he thought as he turned her around by the shoulders so that she was position to start down the ladder.

Sasha must have realized it as well, because she was more compliant when she was like this. When he asked her to do something, she did it, and didn't open her mouth to complain. She knew she was in a very vulnerable position, and therefore was more willing to do what he said to avoid risking his temper, which, as she had seen, was a very frightening and painful experience. She was in no mood to repeat that, at least not now when she couldn't see and had no idea where she was.

Raf pushed her down to a sitting position, and placed her hands on the edge of the ladder.

"There's a ladder here," he said, and she gradually felt around with her feet until she found the step. "Go down it, and wait for me at the bottom."

He waited until she had descended a few steps, then followed, pulling the cover back into place.

At the bottom of the stairs, he took off his helmet and stowed it in the bag, which was quickly followed by his boots and gloves. He mentally sighed with relief. He had forgotten how hot it could get under all that gear, even in the cold winter months, and wondered why he had even started the whole Nightwatcher thing to begin with.

Sasha waited, maybe a little impatiently with her nose wrinkled as he removed these articles of clothing and put them away, but when he started to pull the zipper on the front of his costume, her brows knitted together, and her lips went slack.

"What are you doin'?" she demanded, backing away into what she hoped might be a wall, but Raf could see she was heading straight for the water. "Get away from me!"

Raf wondered if he should say something, but decided he would rather have a good laugh when the mighty Tasmanian Devil fell blindfolded into a sewer ditch. Besides, before he could open his mouth, her foot hit the dropoff, and she lost her balance and fell with a confused cry and a splash. The water was only ankle-deep, but it was still disgusting, and she got plenty wet falling flat on her back.

"Oh, hell no!"

Raf snorted and continued pulling the zipper down.

"Relax. Like I told ya that night, I ain't interested in rapin' you. That ain't the kind of stuff that gets me off."

He peeled off the rest of his suit and stuffed it back into the duffel bag.

"The creepy guy in the trench coat," she said. "That was _you?_"

"Uh-huh."

"Wow. I never noticed. I got knocked out soon after I got done talkin' to ya. Next thing I knew I woke up in a prison cell."

"Yeah, me and my brothers stomped the place, then we called the cops on ya."

"What the hell for? We were fine the way we were."

"Me and my brothers are ninjas. We fight crime."

"I thought ninjas didn't exist. And if they did, I thought they were human."

"Your race's got nothin' to do with it. Now come on," he said, fishing her out of the water and placing her back on the concrete. "You're more of a hassle than ya need to be."

"But now you're helpin' a criminal," she said.

"There's a lot more to bein' a ninja than just kickin' butt. This way."

He guided her through the sewer with one hand on her shoulder. He had expected her to shrug it off and gripe, but she didn't, and he was willing to bet it was because she didn't want to repeat the water episode. A couple of times he stopped her and spun her around several times so she lost track of their steps and turns, then resumed their path once he had finished. Not a word was spoken, the two of them lost in their own thoughts. At last, they reached the lair.

Raf pulled on the pipe and the hidden doors slid open to admit them. He led her inside, then waited for them to close before unwinding the blindfold from her head.

"Okay," he said. "Follow me."

"All right, I can see!" she said, then her excitement quickly turned into wonder as she looked around. "Whoa. Where am I?"

"Exactly where I told ya: the sewers. This is where I live," he answered, tying his mask back onto place. They came down the stairs and found Raf's brothers sitting around the TV, playing a video game.

"Hey Raf," said Leo. The smile dropped from his lips when his eyes fell on Sasha. They narrowed. "What's this?"

Mikey and Donny, hearing the disapproving tone in their brother's voice, shut off the game. Donny had a stern look on his face.

"Raf, what do you think you're doing?"

"Right now, I'm introducin' you. Sasha, these are my brothers. Leo's the one in the blue, Mikey's in the orange, and Donny's in the purple. Guys, meet Sasha LeQuinn, the Tasmanian Devil."

"Yeah, we know who you are," said Leo. He was giving Raf a look of severe displeasure.

Meanwhile, Sasha was having as much trouble getting her head around all of this as the boys were.

"There's more of you?" she asked Raf, her pale eyes scrolling up and down over him and his brothers. "I mean, I knew you weren't normal, but goddamn, what the fuck are you guys?"

They looked at each other. They had been through this before, when they had brought A.J. down here.

"We were exposed to a toxic substance when we were little that mutated us into this," Donny explained. "We cleared up that mess a few years ago, and I managed to get a sample of the stuff so I could study its exact chemistry and the effects it has on organic matter. It seems to mutate you into a cross between the animal you already are and the animal you were last in contact with, and the last animal we were last in contact with was a human, so we look like this."

She arched her eyebrows, a sign that she hadn't gotten any of that, then said, "So, you weren't always like this?"

Raf shook his head.

"Nope. We used to be pet shop turtles."

"Turtles? Well, that explains the shells. Jesus."

She went over to the table, sat down and put a hand to her forehead, trying to take in all that she was seeing and hearing. Leo seized the opportunity.

"Raf, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure," his brother replied, setting down his bag and following him into the dojo. Leo shut the door, then turned.

"Raf, what were you _thinking_? She's a criminal! And on top of that, she's the best fighter to come out of that place! She's dangerous! What on Earth has gotten into your head, thinking you can just bring her here into our home? You should have just left her in jail where she belongs!"

"She's our age!" Raf cried. "She faces life if she's convicted, and ya know she will be. That's no way for a kid to grow up!"

"Well, if that happens, then she's earned it. It was her choice to join that organization in the first place."

"But she's got nowhere else to go!"

"She's got to face the consequences of her actions."

"What's wrong with you?" he yelled, losing his temper. He couldn't believe the things that were coming out of his brother's mouth. "Don't 'cha understand compassion?"

"Compassion?" Leo yelled back. "Compassion is the sort of thing that can bring you down in a situation like this! You're a ninja! You have to learn to rise above your feelings, and not let them control you and decide your actions. This is exactly what you have done, and now we are suffering because of it."

"It was compassion that made ya bring A.J. back with us when we found her," Raf said quietly.

Leo opened his mouth, then stopped. His brother was right. Thought it had been mostly love, there had been some sympathy in his actions that night. His feelings for the redhead had influenced his decisions, though he had tried to mask them as a duty to do what was right. In reality, now that he thought about it, it had been his desire for revenge against those who had hurt his A.J. that had spurred him to destroy the Orphan Train and send its founders to Death Row.

"I wanna help her," said Raf, his voice still low, but very serious. "I know she's mean now, but if I can show her that there's more to life than beatin' people up, then maybe she'll stop what she's doin' and change. I mean, I know that sounds weird, but you guys did the same for me. Why can't I do this for her?"

Leo's face softened, and he lowered his voice.

"You're right. Very well, she can stay with us. Heaven knows she could use a few lessons in civility. But she'll be in your care from now on. If anything happens, I'm holding you personally responsible."

Raf smiled, and clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Thanks, bro."

As he left the room, Leo looked around at all the sandbags they used when they were practicing.

"He's making a huge mistake," he said to himself. He lingered a moment longer, then left.

**Geez, Raf just doesn't know how to be nice, does he? At least he has good intentions, but what will his family say?**

**Review, please! I'll give you cookies! **


	7. Chapter 7: Lessons in Civility

**Here's the next installment. Now is where things start to get intense, so discretion is advised. Thanks to all who keep reviewing, and to Psychobillybutterfly, you pose a very good question about Raf disapproving of her swearing, when he seems the most likely out of all the turtles to use filthy language. As you will come to find out, he is not the only one who thinks she needs to do something about her word choice. However, keep that in mind, and I will address it in my author's notes at the end of the story. **

Back in the living room, Sasha and the boys were trying to get used to each other. Sasha was still sitting at the table, trying to grasp reality, and Mikey and Donny were standing together a little ways off, looking at her suspiciously. When Leo and Raf entered the room, the atmosphere became all the more awkward. They boys looked at each other, and the others looked at Leo, waiting for him to say something. He _was_ the leader, after all.

"Okay," he began. Sasha looked up. "You can stay here. We're far enough down that the police won't find you. We don't really have any place for you to sleep, because we're not used to having more than six people sleeping here at a time."

She looked a little confused at the number, because she was only seeing four, but she didn't mention it. Instead, she said, "I can sleep on the couch. I may as well, seeing as how you guys won't let me leave."

"Yeah, well we can discuss that later. We can give you a place to stay and food to eat, but if you want to stay here, you're going to have to make some adjustments. First, you have got to fix this attitude problem of yours."

"What attitude problem?" she burst out angrily, rudely cutting Leo off. "That's exactly what he said." She pointed at Raf. "Why does everyone think I have a fuckin' attitude problem?"

Mikey opened his mouth to deliver some smart-aleck reply, but Leo held up his hand.

"You have to learn that you simply can't go around acting like you're somehow better than everyone else, because you aren't. You've got to treat others the way you would like to be treated: as another human being."

"But you guys ain't even human!" she yelled, interrupting once again. They could tell she did not like to be told what to do.

"That has nothing to do with it," said Leo, exasperation creeping into his voice. "If you don't respect others, they won't respect you."

"Oh, here we go with that 'respect' crap again. That's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard! Down in the Underground, everyone sure as hell respected me, and I didn't give a damn about them."

"But this isn't the Underground. And that was fear, not respect. They were all afraid of you."

"I don't see the fuckin' difference," she fumed.

"Oh, there's a huge difference," said Raf.

"And you have _got_ to do something about your language," said Leo.

"Such words are hardly appropriate for a young lady," Mikey put in, grinning that stupid Mikey grin of his at her. His brothers smiled: they were used to his little quips, but she stood up, her face dark, her stance threatening and her hands clenched into fists.

"What are _you_ gonna do about it?" she snarled.

Though he was a head taller than her and about twice her size, Mikey took a step backward, his face uneasy. He held up his hands.

"Hey hey, don't get all mad. I was only joking. I didn't mean anything by it."

"Don't matter what you meant," she said, squaring her shoulders. She took a step towards the orange-masked turtle, who took another step back, looking ready to jump behind his brother. Raf saw Donny's three-fingered hand tighten on his Bo, which he had picked up while he and Leo were in the dojo, and one of Leo's hands had gone up to the swords he had strapped to his back. He knew that if he didn't intervene, a fight was going to break out, and someone was going to get hurt. Keeping one hand on the sai at his belt, he put the other on Sasha's shoulder. He had already proven he could control her, and he would do it again if he had to.

"Get off!" Sasha protested, trying to shake him off, but he held on. The boys tightened their hands on their weapons, but at that moment, a distraction made them look up.

"Leo?"

The soft voice belonged to a tiny redhead in plaid pajama pants and a white tank top standing at the foot of the stairs, looking sleepy. Raf guessed that Sasha's yelling had woken her up, though he hadn't realized she was still here.

"A.J.," said Leo.

"What's going on?" she asked. "I can hear you upstairs. Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine," Leo replied, the stern, lecturing tone leaving his voice and being replaced by something softer and gentler. He dropped the hand that was holding his sword handle as she left the staircase and came over to stand by him.

"Who's this?" she asked.

"Oh!" Raf had almost forgotten that Sasha was still in the room. "A.J., this is Sasha LeQuinn. Sasha, this is A.J., Leo's girlfriend."

"Nice to meet you, Sasha," said A.J. politely. Sasha looked down her nose at the smaller girl, even though she was only a couple of inches shorter than her.

"Girlfriend, huh? What, can't find any human boys your age?"

A.J. was taken aback, stunned by the rude way the other girl had addressed her.

"I…well, I…I guess not." She changed the subject, probably hoping to prevent any further hostility. "Your name is very pretty. Is it French?"

Sasha glowered at her.

"Do I look French to you?"

"Well no…"

"'Course I don't! I'm Indian, and not the kind that was here first, so don't even think about askin'. I'm the kind of Indian from Asia, which is nowhere near France, so ya better not screw it up!"

"I'm sorry," said A.J. softly. Raf felt a pang. He realized that he had been so preoccupied with Sasha over the past week that she had driven A.J. completely from his mind. That was probably a sign that he was beginning to get over her, but he wouldn't deny that he still had feelings for her, and he felt bad to see her hurt.

"Hey, cut her some slack, okay? She didn't know," he said to Sasha.

She rounded on him.

"You stay outta this!"

"I ain't stayin' outta anythin' until you improve that attitude," he snapped. "She was tryin' to pay you a compliment."

"Yeah, well compliments mean nothin' if you're stupid."

"I'm not stupid!" A.J. cried indignantly. "I was merely making an observation."

"My ass you were!" Sasha yelled, turning back around. She put on a high, mocking voice. "'Is your name French?' How the fuck am I supposed to know? I ain't even French!"

"Your name just sounds French, that's all! I didn't know if you were or not, that's why I asked."

"Yeah, well ignorance ain't gonna get you any sympathy if ya keep it up. The world don't forgive the weak and stupid, ya prissy little red-headed bitch!"

A collective gasp resounded through the room. A.J. clapped her hands to her mouth, looking like she was about to cry. Leo opened his mouth, but he never said anything, because what happened next took the breath from his lungs.

No one saw it clearly. There was a blur of green, the _smack_ of flesh hitting flesh, and Sasha was knocked off her feet. She hit the ground on one hip, one leg and her hands where she lay there, stunned. The side of her face was turning bright red, and Donny was standing over her, his hand in the air. Looking over the scene again, everyone gasped for the second time. Gentle Donny, who never raised his hand to anyone unless he absolutely had to, had just slapped Sasha across the face.

"You need some manners!" he bellowed, his normally quiet voice now echoing around the lair. Raf watched a large brown spider fall to the floor and scuttle away in fear, and he smothered a laugh. "You don't ever speak to anyone like that, do you hear me? Not under this roof!"

Slowly, Sasha got to her feet. She didn't speak for a minute: she just put her hand to her face. Raf wondered if Donny had knocked her cross-eyed.

"Ow," she said finally. "I ain't been hit that hard in a long-ass time."

"Did you hear me?"

"Hell yeah I heard ya. Then whole fuckin' city heard ya."

Donny was in no mood for any more of her crap. He grabbed her shoulder.

"Don't talk back to me!"

She jumped out of his grip, her eyes flashing, her pain forgotten.

"Don't touch me!" She raised her fists. "You wanna fight? Huh? 'Cause I'll take you on!"

Donny flipped his Bo out in front of him. Sasha lunged, but Raf moved too fast. He caught her around the waist in midair and brought her back down to he ground. At the same time, Leo and Mikey grabbed their brother's arms to prevent him from hitting her across the room like a World Series superstar. In Raf's arms, Sasha was struggling, cursing, screaming, and spitting like a mad cat. Donny was yelling at her about her treatment of others, Sasha was yelling back at him using language worse than the sewer water, Raf was yelling at her to shut up and Leo and Mikey were yelling about keeping tempers. And above all this noise, a voice suddenly boomed, "_Enough!_"

Everybody turned to see the revered old rat standing in the doorway to his rooms. Immediately the fight stopped, as the boys released each other and bowed.

"Master."

A.J. performed the best curtsy she could without a dress, bending one knee and her head.

"Master Splinter," she said softly, then folded her hands in front of her.

"Stop this foolish behavior at once!" Splinter barked. He approached the boys, staring them all down with his bright eyes, even though he was two feet shorter than they where "Donatello, you should know better! You never, ever strike anyone out of anger!"

"But Master, she said…"

"I heard what she said, and it makes no difference. You must never let your feelings drive you to act in such a rash manner. I would have expected better from you, my son."

Donny bowed, clasping his hands together.

"I'm sorry, Master," he said. Sasha stuck her tongue out at him.

"And you, young lady!" Master Splinter said sharply, turning to her. "Normally, I sympathize with those of your unfortunate circumstances, but the language that is coming out of your mouth is despicable! If you were younger, I would take you to the sink and wash your mouth out with soap! You will not speak to anyone in this room in that degrading way ever again, do you understand me? As long as you live here, you will be respectful to those around you, as well as clean up that filthy tongue of yours! Is that clear?"

Though she was still shocked at seeing a four foot tall rat walking on two legs and scolding her like her father, Sasha sneered, looking down her nose again.

"And who's gonna make me? You? Hah! You and what army?"

The four turtles moved to stand behind their father, arms crossed over their chests. If looks could kill, Sasha would have been little more than a pile of ash on the floor in front of them. She wisely reconsidered her challenge.

"Oh yeah. _That_ army."

Silence passed between them, each of them realizing their place. Finally, Master Splinter looked at the clock.

"You boys still have time to go out for a while," he said, his voice much softer. "Abigail, are you staying with us tonight?

"Yes, sir."

"Very well. You are all dismissed."

He turned back into his rooms. A.J. was shepherded up the stairs by Leo, and Mikey and Donny hung out by the door, waiting for the other two. Raf and Sasha were left behind.

"You sure you're gonna be comfortable here?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she answered.

"You don't need a blanket or a pillow or somethin'?"

"Nah. I could use a shower, though."

She was still a little damp from her tumble in the sewers. Raf couldn't hide his smirk.

"Up the stairs, to the right," he said. "There's also some old clothes in the back rooms. They're only robes, but they're clean, and probably more comfortable." He turned to head up the stairs to join his brothers, then something struck his mind.

"Don't even bother tryin' to escape. There's a secret way to get in and out, and even if you manage, you'll be wanderin' around in the sewers forever."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," she said, heading up the stairs and turning to the right, as Raf had instructed. At that moment, Leo reappeared, and the four of them left the lair.

* * *

When they returned several hours later, they found Sasha stretched out on the couch, one leg on and one leg off, one arm thrown over her face and the other dangling over the side. She was no longer wearing the prison uniform, but one of Master Splinter's old robes, a dark blue one that hung past her knees and tied at the waist. She looked like Mikey, except that her mouth wasn't open and she wasn't snoring. 

And she wasn't six feet tall and green, either.

"Aww, she took my spot," Mikey wined. "Hey Raf, wanna help me dump her off?"

Raf was thoroughly bushed, having run all over the city tonight, and wanted nothing more than to just crash into his bed. Not even his growling stomach could change his mind.

"Don't think that's a great idea, Mike," he said groggily. "You saw how she was earlier. Can you imagine what she's gonna do to ya when ya so rudely wake her up?"

The orange-clad turtle's eyes widened with horror, and he quickly turned and walked down the hallway towards the bathroom. Raf chuckled, and he, Leo, and Donny headed in the same direction to their respective bedrooms. But he paused only briefly to look back down on the sleeping girl on the couch one last time before she passed out of sight. However, it was only for a moment, and then he moved on. Once he was in his room, he headed for his bed, flopped down, and closed his eyes, images of his past floating through his consciousness before sleep stole over him.

* * *

_The second time he saw Rachel was about a week and a half after he saved her. He had been chasing some goons in a dark green SUV who had nabbed a couple of kids while they were out running errands. Why any parent would send their kid out to run errands at ten o'clock at night was beyond Raf, but that wasn't any of his business. What was his business was getting them out of those guys' clutches and putting them back into their parents'. He had tried to stop them when he saw them pick up the African-American brother and sister, but they had been too fast, and managed to get into their car before he could whip out the chains, so he had been forced to rev up the bike and go after them, speeding though the streets like bats out of Hell._

_He was so set on the chase that he didn't notice where they had led him, nor that they lost control of the vehicle due to ice on the street and crashed into a lightpole a few feet from the pizza place where Rachel worked._

_He brought the bike to a stop and stomped over to the crashed car. The two guys jumped out and tried to make a run for it, but he made sure he had the chains out, and had them tripped and on the ground before they knew what hit them. In a few minutes, they were tied to the pole they had crashed into, which stood straight while the hood of their car was crumpled in and the engine was smashed. Once he had that taken care of, he looked in the car, and found the two kids huddled in the backseat, eyes wide and arms wrapped around each other. The boy looked about nine or so, and his sister Raf guessed was probably six or seven. He was trying to be a big, strong man, but the fear in his eyes was just as plain as that on her face, and she had two handfuls of his shirt balled in her fists, crying. Raf smiled under his helmet._

_"C'mon guys," he said, reaching to take the girl in his arms. When she shank back further against her brother, he just shook his head, being unable to show them the smile on his face. "It's okay. You're safe now."_

_The boy's eyes lit up suddenly, and he turned to his sister._

_"It's the Nightwatcher, Shay. He's here to save us." He looked up at Raf. "Aren't you?"_

_"Yeah, I am. Now c'mon. Let's get you outta here."_

_He would have added "before the car blows up," but decided that wasn't the best thing to say under the current circumstances. He didn't want to freak them out any more than he needed to. However, with the realization that he was the city's hero and not in line with their kidnappers, they eagerly allowed him to pick them up and carry them a short distance away from the car. Even when he set them down, they clung to his hands, suddenly chattering up a storm. He busied himself with trying it settle them down while trying to figure out how he was going to get ahold of the police, and it was then that they realized they had an audience._

_"Nice work, Nightwatcher," said a voice, and Raf looked up to see Rachel standing a short distance away, surveying the damage. His heart did a particularly hard thud in his chest, and he was lost for words, unable to tear his eyes away from her, with her hip cocked to one side, her arms folded over her chest and a smirk on her face. "Damn. You did a pretty clean job here."_

_He didn't need to have his brother's genius to figure out she was being sarcastic._

_"Uh, heh heh," was about all he could splutter out. "Thanks."_

_"What'd these guys do? Deface public property?" She raised her eyebrows. "Their stupid car is taking up a whole lane."_

_"Kidnappin'," he replied, jerked back into himself by the kids pulling on his arms. "Now, why don't 'cha make yourself useful and call the cops?"_

_She let out a single laugh, her pink lips curling into a smile._

_"Sure thing, Mr. Bossy."_

_She turned on her heel and walked back into the pizza place. Raf went back to the kids._

_"Hey guys. I need ya to stay here and answer all the questions the police ask you, all right? Can ya do that for me?"_

_Their heads bobbed furiously up and down, their eyes shining with adoration. Raf shook his hands out of their grips, but before he could walk away, the little girl's voice stopped him._

_"Mister Nightwatcher? Will you come see us again sometime?"_

_"Shay," her brother started, but Raf interrupted him._

_"Ya know what?" he said, kneeling down in front of her. "If ya ever get in trouble again, all ya have to do is call out, and I'll be there."_

_"Call out" being a nice version of "scream", but he didn't say that. He couldn't guarantee that he'd be there, of course, but there was the hope that they would wise up and stay safer from now on._

_"You promise?" she said, her eyes big._

_Though Raf wasn't sure he liked kids very much, he had to admit, this little girl was pretty cute._

_"Sure," he said. He rose to stand upright, he saw Rachel standing relatively in the same place she had been before she'd gone back inside, and the exact same stance: hip out, and arms crossed._

_"You're pretty good with kids," she remarked. An uncomfortable sort of jolt went through him, and he was glad once again for his helmet, because it hid whatever shocked or embarrassed look he had on his face._

_It didn't last long, though, and he quickly shook it off. "Did ya call?"_

_She nodded her head._

_"Yep. They're on their way."_

_"Good. Will ya stay here and watch them?" He gestured to the kids._

_She looked at him._

_"What about you?"_

_"I gotta get outta here," he said, walking over to his bike. He had swung himself up onto it and was getting ready to gun the engine when he noticed she had followed him. "I did my good deed," he explained. "Now, it's up to the city."_

_"Will you come see me sometime? You know, if you're not too busy?"_

_She shifted her weight from one leg to the other, and her eyes flashed purple for a brief moment. Raf stared at her, almost hypnotized by this subtle change. There was a silence in which he did not reply, and she had to snap her fingers in front of his face to get his attention._

_"Hey! You still in there?"_

_He jumped slightly, and said automatically, "Huh?"_

_"I said, will you come see me sometime if you're not too busy?"_

_She caught him off guard with her question. She wanted to see him again? He'd never been asked that before, not like this. He might never be asked again, so what good would it do to pass it up?_

_"Oh…yeah, sure."_

**Okay hands: _now _who hates Sasha? Hah, told you you would. And it only gets worse from here. Still, some awesome Splinter ass-kickage, and a further development into the story of Raf and Rachel for you.**

**Reviews are appreciated as always, and if you could help me out: I'm trying to think of a name for this series. I'm thinking along the lines of TMNT: The _(blank)_ Chronicles, but I need some help filling in the blank. If anyone has any ideas that they'd be willing to share, I'll love you forever! Unless you flame me, of course...**

**Review please! **


	8. Chapter 8: Little Sis

**Thank you very much to PreMaturePoet for your suggestions, but you were the only one that offered any. Like I said, anything you guys have would be appreciated. I reeeeeeeeally need some help coming up with a title for this series, because my brain is totally smashed right now in the title department, so if you could be so kind...**

**Yeah, so this was originally part of the last chapter, but I had to break it up because it's just too intense for one chap. Enjoy! **

The next night, Sasha asked if they would let her out long enough to get her stuff out of the hotel room she'd been renting. She figured that if she was going to be staying here, she may as well make it home. Leo looked very unhappy at the idea of her going out, but agreed that she could, as long as she wore some sort of disguise to cover her face and body.

And there was no way she was going by herself. The turtles would accompany her, to keep her out of trouble, and to make sure she didn't run off. The news that she had escaped prison was likely to be all over the place by now, and every officer on duty probably had instructions to keep an eye out for a skinny Indian girl with short black hair and pale gray eyes.

So, dressing her up in Raf's trench coat and hat, both of which were too big for her, the five of them set out, also covering her eyes with a piece of cloth, since they couldn't trust her to keep them closed. When they arrived at her hotel, which fortunately had rooms that you had to enter from the outside, they had to break open the door because the key had been with her clothing that the prison had taken away. Once that was done, they kept an eye out on the roof while she went through the room and swept everything she owned in the backpack she had there. Then, with Mikey carrying the bag and Raf carrying her, they made their way back to the lair, where they dropped her off, untied the blindfold from her head, and left again.

* * *

About a week after that, A.J. came over and spent the night. The boys were out on patrol, Master Splinter was in his rooms, and Sasha was stretched out on her usual spot on the couch, dressed in a faded black ZZ Top t-shirt and a pair of very short athletic shorts, dark blue with a white stripe on each side, and covered no more of her legs than the t-shirt did. In fact, if she didn't stretch her arms up once in a while, you might never have guessed that there was anything under that shirt to begin with. 

Around four in the morning or so, Sasha was still awake, not really feeling like sleeping, but not really doing anything else either. The TV was on, but there was something really stupid playing, and she was forced to remind herself once again why she never liked watching television to begin with, especially at four in the morning.

_Only stoners think this shit is funny,_ she thought to herself as she stared at the screen, which was playing some really bad and poorly animated cartoon. _Who the hell comes up with these things, anyway?_ She felt herself going cross-eyed. Still there was nothing better to do, since she couldn't sleep.

Until she heard a noise in the kitchen behind her. Suddenly alert, she jumped up from the couch, fists raised, ready to kick some serious ass, only to find that it was just A.J., getting some milk out of the fridge. She put the milk carton back, turned around, and her eyes fell on Sasha.

"Can't sleep?" she asked. The other girl nodded her head curtly, then made her way out from behind the couch and into the kitchen. A.J. moved out of her way as she got into the fridge.

"Got any beer in this joint?" she asked the redhead, who looked at her half in shock, the other half in obvious sarcasm.

"No one here is over twenty-one except Master Splinter."

"So that's a no?"

"Yeah, that's a no."

"How old are you losers, anyway?"

"Eighteen."

She shut the refrigerator door and looked at her in surprise.

"All of ya?"

Her question was answered with a nod.

"Huh. Well, they sure as hell don't act the same age."

A.J. smiled, and Sasha glowered at her.

"I wasn't tryin' to be funny," she snapped, and the smile faded from her lips. She looked down, then took a drink of her milk.

Sasha felt some well of anger boiling up inside her as she watched the other girl before her. She was trying to act all innocent and pretty; like a dumb blonde, only with red hair. Wasn't there a rumor about all redheads being all bad-ass, short-fused and hot-tempered? And what was this in front of her? If she didn't know that her actions didn't look cute at all, then maybe it was time to teach her. Time to show her that the only way you could survive in the real world was if you were tough, as if everyday could be your last, and if you fought to live, you'd buy yourself another day. You had to work if you wanted to accomplish anything; the rewards wouldn't be handed to you on a silver plate.

"Bein' stupid cute ain't gonna get you anywhere, you realize that, don't 'cha?"

A.J. looked up.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I said ya can't go through life floatin' through the clouds with all that air in your head. In this world, the strong eat the weak and survive, and there ain't no room for people who just take up space."

"Now what makes you think I float through life on all the air in my head?"

"Look at yourself! You don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?"

"See? You're so fuckin' stupid ya don't even realize you're stupid! You know nothin' of the real world! Life out there is hard, and if ya think it's easy, you're so fuckin' wrong!"

A.J. could not believe she had lashed out at her so suddenly, and all she had done was gotten up to get some milk out of the refrigerator. She had to shake her head with pity. This poor girl needed guidance, and as Raf had put it, help. She had only been here a little more than a week, and already A.J. could tell that she needed help badly, but maybe the only place she would find it was in a psychiatrist's office.

"It must be horrible to have to live with all this anger inside of you," she said softly. "If you'd just let someone help you…"

"I don't need any help," growled the darker girl.

"Yes, you do. I've seen it before."

"Oh, and I suppose you think you now everythin' don't 'cha?"

"I never said that."

"Does it look like I give a shit what people think of me? I've gone through my entire life not carin' what people think of me! I don't need any of your goddamn generosity, okay? All I need is for people to just leave me the fuck alone!"

"Look, I'm just trying to be nice, okay? Maybe if you'd just try some kindness once in a while, you wouldn't be like this!"

"Like what? You gotta problem with the way I am?"

"As a matter of fact, yes I do! You're mean and hurtful to everyone you meet, and it doesn't even seem to affect you! I, for one don't like having to come down here and subject myself to your insults! You jab at people and you make fun of them just for your own sadistic amusement and selfish pride! It's like you do it so you can have some sort of self-worth, however pathetic it may be! As if somehow, putting others down makes you feel important! What on Earth did your parents do to you that screwed you up so badly?"

Her gray eyes flashed, and the flame that had been flaring up in A.J. died suddenly. She knew she had touched a nerve, and immediately wished she hadn't lost her temper. Sasha wasn't Raf, who at least had a sense of honor, and wouldn't hit her no matter what the circumstances. This was entirely different, and she realized it even before Sasha snarled dangerously, "Oh, you _bitch!_"

Reasoning was absolutely out of the question, and begging was useless. She knew she shouldn't have said what she had, but it had just flown out of her mouth. And, in a way, Sasha had deserved it. Who was she to accuse her of being naïve and air-headed anyway? Just because she was a ruthless fighter and the most wanted person in New York right now did not mean that she could walk all over everyone else and expect them to kiss her shoes. A.J. had been through things she was willing to bet money even the great Tasmanian Devil hadn't, but that was her only advantage. Since her last dealings with the Orphan Train, all the fight had been knocked out of her, and she felt nothing but fear up against this tough, well-seasoned fighter who looked seriously ready beat her to a pulp. She was no ordinary layman, and probably knew how to deflect all the moves A.J. would pull on her. It also didn't help that she was furious, due to whatever A.J. had said.

The glass she'd been holding in her hand shattered and sprayed milk all over the floor as Sasha's first blow struck her in the right side of her face and knocked her off balance. But before she could fall, or recover, Sasha grabbed her by the straps of her tank top and pulled her forward, right into her upraised knee.

"Oh!" she grunted as it connected with the soft flesh of her plump little stomach, and she felt a sharp pain in her foot as she stepped on a shard of glass. She bit her lip, tears springing into her eyes, but she didn't give Sasha the satisfaction of making her cry. But with a bad foot, she couldn't stand properly, and Sasha knocked her down with another fist, this time right between her eyes.

"Ah! Ah! Stop it!" she screamed as she fell to the ground and threw her hands up over her face, trying to protect her head. Sasha jumped on top of her, pinning her down, and began pummeling every part of her she could reach. She paid no attention to the fact that most of her blows were being deflected by the other girl's arms; she just wanted to pound her.

"Don't you ever talk about my family like that, ya stupid fucking bitch! You don't know what it's like, do ya; to have everythin' you've ever known go to Hell?"

"Well how am I supposed to know your problems? You never talk about them! Knock it off!" the redhead yelled back, probably more in self defense than actual malice. Suddenly, she was so scared she couldn't think. In her mind, she was back in that dirty cell, the blows from unkind fists stinging all over her body, and a heavy weight on top of her…

"I don't give a flyin'…" Sasha started to say, drawing her fist back for another punch, then the feel of cold steel being pressed against her throat cut her off, and a rough voice froze her in her stance.

"Let her up!" it commanded.

Heart pounding as she realized her position, she obeyed, raising her knee so A.J. could wiggle out and hobble out of her line of vision. She heard Leo's voice ask her if she was all right, and the sound of clothing rustling. She guessed they were dusting her off.

"What's wrong with your foot?" Leo asked.

"I stepped on a piece of glass."

"How?" It was Donny who spoke this time.

"Well…"

"If it has anything to do with _her,_" Leo growled, and he had never sounded more dangerous. She heard him starting to draw his sword, and felt her blood run cold.

_Fuck,_ she thought. _I just got caught beatin' up on the master ninja's beloved girlfriend._ She remembered back to earlier that evening, the way they had been interacting with each other: all cuddly until she thought she was going to puke. For once in her life, she was beginning to regret letting her temper get the better of her. And for once in a long time, she was beginning to fear for her life.

"I'll handle this, Leo," said the voice, and she realized now that it belonged to Raf, which wasn't exactly comforting either. In just the week and a half she had been there, she had learned that Raf was the most quick-tempered of his brothers, and the most easily angered. But he was fiercely loyal to his family, and she guessed that included A.J. as well.

In short, she was probably toast.

"Go take care of A.J.," said Raf, and she heard Leo say, "Come here, sweetheart," as he swept her up easily in his arms. Then the four of them headed into Donny's lab, leaving her alone with Raf and his wrath.

"If ya feel the need to beat up on somethin', I don't care if ya do it to me or one of my brothers, 'cause at least we can defend ourselves. But don't you _dare_ touch my little sis!"

His voice was low, and deathly serious. Sasha lowered the arm that had been raised in the air all this time. She would have hung her head, but the blade under her jawbone prevented her from doing so.

"It's pathetic," she spat. "You guys are obsessed with that girl. You'll do anything for her."

"If you knew the story between us and 'that girl', then you wouldn't so quick to insult her," was the reply. Sasha just frowned. Did it look like she gave a damn?

Then again, she was in a very sticky predicament. One more comment like that and it could be her last. Maybe it would be better for her if she _did_ give a damn, or at least pretended to. She wanted to gulp, but was afraid any movement of her throat would result in bloodshed.

"What story is that?" she asked.

"That ain't none o' your business," said Raf shortly. "But I'll leave it to her to decide if a story like hers deserves to be heard by the likes of you."

He turned his blade so the sharp edge was no longer digging into her skin, then slid it slowly across her neck, the point scratching but not drawing blood, and she saw a wave of goosebumps run down her arms. He pressed the point into the back of her neck, taking care not to puncture her. The curve of her nape looked so enticing in this light, and he clenched his free hand, resisting the urge to reach out and stroke it. Remember what Leo always said: concentrate on the task at hand.

"Go on then," she muttered. "If you're gonna kill me, then just fucking kill me."

"This wouldn't kill ya. But it'd paralyze ya from the shoulders down." He took his weapon away from her and put it back into his belt, placing his thumb on the spot where it had been, the other two fingers resting on the side, unable to help himself. The temptation was too great. Her skin was hot, and he could feel her pulse rushing madly. "And that's a risk I don't think you can afford to take."

He let her go, and her shoulders slumped as she let out the breath she had been holding in. Now she really did hang her head. She was glad, of course, that he had spared her life, as well as relieved that he hadn't actually paralyzed her from the shoulders down, but the threat itself hung over her like a heavy black shroud. To say she was frightened would have been a lie, but from the tone of his voice, she could infer that he wasn't kidding. And, being a ninja, he probably knew a way to sever her spinal cord and still keep her alive. Damn ninjas and their fancy ways to cause pain and agony.

Raf turned around to stalk off, and saw Master Splinter standing in the doorway to his rooms, his hands on his walking stick and a solemn look on his face. When Raf's eyes met his, he raised a finger and beckoned him, turning around and heading back into his rooms. Raf followed, unable to smother a sigh. Now what?

"That was well handled, Raphael," the old rat began after Raf had closed the door and knelt before him. "I am pleased that you have taken on such a responsibility, and I will be happy to assist you in any and every way I can. However…" his face became dark. "While I am inclined to feel pity for her situation, my duty first and foremost is to this family, as is yours. Our job is to keep each other safe, defending each other against threats. I am sure you do not need me to tell you this, my son, but Miss Sasha is a threat, maybe not to you, your brothers or myself, but to Abigail. She is family too, and if an incident like this occurs again, I will have no choice but to remove her."

"Ya mean…throw her out?"

"That is correct."

"But…but Master!" Raf protested. "She's got nowhere else to go! She's got no family, no friends…"

"She has managed to survive this long on her own."

"Well yeah, but there's cops all over New York lookin' for her! If they catch her, she'll go straight back to jail!"

"That is unfortunate, but those are the consequences she faces if she chooses to harm this family."

"But Master, that's…"

"Raphael! Enough!" he snapped. "I am only doing what is best for this family! You must put the needs of others before your own! Do you understand me?"

Raf hung his head. He should have known better than to speak out against his master.

"Yes, _sensei_."

"Very good. You are dismissed."

The red-masked turtle rose to his feet quickly and headed out of the room. When he reached the door, however, Splinter's voice stopped him.

"Raphael," he said, his tone much gentler than it had been a minute ago. "You cannot allow your personal feelings compromise the ones you love. You are gambling with more lives than one in this game you insist upon playing."

"Yes Master," he said, and left.

**More awesome Splinter ass-kickage, but personally, I think he's got a point. So, what will happen, and what's gonna happen to Sasha? **

**I'll say now that I'm having some difficulty with the story due to the fact that I've got essays and tests left and right at the current moment, so it may be a while before I get something posted. I'll try to have something up in a couple of weeks, but I'm not making any promises. I encourage you all to be patient, and don't give up on me, 'cause I'm not giving up on this story! No way! Just hang in there, don't forget to review, and give me your suggestions. **

**Also to note, when I post the next chap, I'll also post Raf's installment in my Love Poems story, so if you're interested, don't forget to be on the lookout for that. Thanks again to all who reviewed, and continue to do so! **


	9. Chapter 9: Full Responsibility

**Jeez, finally. Sorry for the wait, guys. This one took a little longer than I had originally anticipated. Thanks to all who reviewed, your comments keep me writing. **

**To Lizzy: oh yeah, she is in _real_ deep shit, which is about to be delivered to her. To imthegreefairy88: glad I didn't disappoint you. **

**So, as everyone has been hoping to see, this is the chapter where Sasha gets her ass kicked. Also, the plot thickens... Enjoy! **

Entering the living room, he found Sasha back on the couch in front of the TV.

"I'm goin' out," he said to her. "If I were you, I wouldn't move from that spot."

"Why not?"

"'Cause I bet my bros won't be as nice to you as I was."

Her gray eyes flashed, but her face remained unchanged.

"Fine. Whatever," she said, stretching out lengthwise on the couch and closing her eyes. Raf opened his mouth, then realized that he had nothing to say, so he shut it and left the lair, heading up to the rooftops.

As much as he hated to admit it, his master had a point. No matter how much she may have needed their help, she was still violent and short-tempered, and likely to lash out at anyone who pissed her off, something that was easily done. He had no idea what A.J. had said to her to make her so mad, but he was pretty sure she hadn't deserved it, and there was one thing that was certain: they could _not_ have a repeat of tonight. Sasha was dangerous, however he may try to convince himself otherwise, and Splinter's words were nothing short of the truth. She was a threat, and any threats to them or their family had to be dealt with.

But this wasn't the same as the Shredder, the Foot, or Karai, or Hun and his Purple Dragons, or the devious Agent Bishop and Dr. Stockman. This wasn't like the Orphan Train, or even the criminals they beat up night after night: simple thieves and vandals. He could see in her face that she was only tough, mean and nasty on the surface. There was something else in her; a part of her that didn't want this life. She was not evil to the core like the others he had just mentioned. Heck, she wasn't evil at all. She just thought she was, because that was what the Underground had taught her. Raf bit his lip and cursed the day that damned organization had been birthed. This was all it's doing, he was sure of it, and surely it was solely responsible for the way she had turned out. But if he could just get past all that: crack the shell that surrounded her…how many stories had he heard of kids who had grown up in unstable homes, spent their teenaged years on the streets in gangs, and had grown up to be decent, civilized human beings?

The same could hold for her, couldn't it?

Or was he asking for too much? Was he, in fact, asking for a miracle?

No, he wasn't. What had he always been taught? With enough work, anything was possible. He could do this, if he just set his mind to it.

While he had been thinking, he had brushed the snow off the ledge of the building and sat down. Now he rose, partly because his mind was made up, partly because his back end was getting numb, squaring his broad shoulders. She was just like he had been, and when he had been going though this, his family had not given up on him. They had not abandoned him, even though he might have wished for nothing more. This was exactly the same thing.

"She needs me," Raf said to himself as he surveyed the city, with all its hustle and bustle and blinking lights, even at five in the morning. "I can't just leave her."

He couldn't.

"My brothers didn't give up on me. And I ain't givin' up on her. I ain't givin up." He brought his closed fist down into the open palm of his other hand. He _was,_ after all, the stubborn one.

"I ain't."

* * *

In Donny's lab, A.J. was sitting up on a table, clutched tightly in Leo's embrace, while Donny stood at her feet, inspecting the glass she had stepped on. He was trying to simply pull it out, but after a few minutes, in which he sliced open one of his own fingers, he told them they had no choice but to dig it out with a knife. 

"This is really bad," he mused as he opened a packet of alcohol wipes and cleaned his finger with one, and A.J.'s foot with the other. "It looks like when you stepped on it, it broke, so instead of having just one piece of glass embedded in your foot, you have three." He reached into his medicine kit and pulled out the small knife he used to remove rocks, bullets, and other sorts of debris from his brothers' skin when the situation called for it. His brown eyes were very uncomfortable as he held it up for her to see. "This is going to hurt."

Leo saw A.J.'s eyes, those beautiful, Caribbean-green orbs that he could never struggle free from, widen with horror, and her grip on his arm tightened. He would have asked it there was any way to do this less painfully, but knew better than to argue. When it came to these medical things, Donny knew best, and the only thing he could do was hold her tight and try to provide some comfort, as best as he possibly could. He cradled her head in his hand, using the rest of the arm to support her back, his other arm wrapped around her chest and holding her shoulder, both of her hands latched onto that. He bent her head to his chest, lowering his nose into her hair. She squeezed her eyes closed as Donny set to work on her foot.

She winced, then relaxed, winced, and then relaxed. Leo couldn't bring himself to look, and didn't blame Mikey one bit for running off as soon as he'd learned that they were going to do. When she began whimpering in pain, he held her tighter, nuzzling her hair and whispering to her.

"Shhhh, babe…it's all right…I'm right here…it's okay…"

"Owwww," she moaned, tears beginning to leak out of her eyes, and she twitched her foot, trying to jerk it out of Donny's grasp. She clenched her teeth behind her tightly drawn lips, screwing her face up and pressing harder into Leo's chest exactly the way she had the night he'd first held her when she cried, as though she was trying to disappear through his plastron. Seeing her in so much pain hurt him worse than any battle wound he had ever received.

"_Don!_" he cried.

"I'm trying!" his purple-banded brother snapped back. "Does it look like this is easy for me?"

He set down a bloody fragment on the side of the table, and then Leo noticed that there was one other sitting next to it. Two down, one more to go.

He returned to soothing the precious bundle in his arms.

"Almost there, babe. You're gonna be fine, I promise."

"Leo…" she breathed, and another tear fell onto his arm. Her face was red and so were her eyes, and he kissed her forehead, hot beneath his lips. She sucked in her breath and winced again, and Donny looked up.

"Sorry," he said, and returned to his work. A.J. bit her lip as he dug deeper into her foot. The blood was running down her sole in tiny, thin rivulets, and dropping onto the table below it. Tongue between his teeth, Donny teased the glass closer to the surface, trying not to damage the surrounding tissue any more than he had to. He was making progress, but this one was being a difficult little booger.

He wiped the sweat off eyeridges, trying to block out the sounds coming from his patient, and the brother that held her in his arms. It was distracting, and the least thing he needed was distraction. But he also didn't want to hear how much he was hurting her, despite how careful he tried to be. At last, after several tense and painful minutes, he was rewarded by the soft clatter of the glass on the table.

"Got it!" he cried happily, making both her and Leo jump, and then release identical sighs as their frames seemed to deflate. A.J. slumped back in Leo's arms, her entire body going limp, and her eyelids coming to rest on her cheeks. Her breathing continued in a steady rhythm, but the rest of her body remained eerily still, and Leo took her pulse as Donny swept the shards of glass off the table and threw them into a trash can.

"I think she's fainted," Leo remarked as he lay her down flat, setting her head at a comfortable angle.

"Good," said Donny, returning with a roll of gauze, a bandage pad, and some more alcohol wipes. "Then that will make this easier."

He cleaned and disinfected the cuts, then placed the pad over them, using the gauze to secure it in place. Leo stared in wonder and admiration at the swiftness with which his brother worked. In only a few minutes, her foot was bound clean and neat as you please, and she remained undisturbed, even when Leo gently took her in his arms and carried her out of the lab, up the stairs and to his room, laying her down on his bed and covering her up with the blanket. Turning around, he found Donny in the doorway, leaning against the frame, an exhausted look on his face.

"You should get some sleep," he said.

His purple-masked brother nodded groggily.

"I will. I just wanted to apologize first."

Leo's eyeridges drew together.

"What for?"

Donny gestured to the lump in the bed.

"For hurting her. I was just trying to get the glass out."

Leo shook his head, smiling.

"You did what you had to do, Don. I understand, and I know she will, too. At least we got to her when we did."

He nodded.

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," Leo replied heavily. "We can't have something like this happen again. I agreed she could stay with us here, so this is partially my fault. If I had just told Raf to send her back where she belongs, we wouldn't be in this mess. The practical thing to do would be to throw her out."

"That would be in the best interest for the safety of our family. After the way she's treated A.J., she doesn't deserve to stay here. I mean, we've protected her, given her a place to eat and sleep, and what has she done? She's gone and threatened the thing we treasure the most."

Leo raised his eyeridges.

"'We'?"

Donny's eyes widened for a moment, then returned to their normal size.

"Come on, Leo. You know A.J. means as much to us as she does to you. You can't let her get away with something like this."

"Believe me, I won't. However, this is Raf's battle. He promised to take responsibility for her, so he must be the one to punish her."

"But Leo…"

"Don't worry. If it happens again…" He threw a look back over his shoulder at the lump under the blankets, and clenched his fists. "I'll see to it personally that she regrets what she's done."

* * *

Raf headed back down to the lair, tired and ready for bed. However, the hand he had placed on Sasha's bare skin was tingling, and he found himself unable to get the image of the back of her neck out of his mind. He shook his head, yet he could not erase that smooth, caramel slope, nor how hot her skin had felt against his own. He could not deny the way his eyes were drawn to her bare legs whenever he saw her in those shorty-shorts of hers, how the muscles bunched up in both her thighs and her calves whenever she walked, and how she often sat with her knees apart, slouched and in the most un-ladylike manner possible. Over the past few nights, he had not been able to get to sleep for his desire to touch her legs, run his fingers through her short hair, kiss her. But when sleep finally did claim him, he was not safe there either, for she appeared in his dreams. And that was where it was the worst, because you can never escape your dreams. 

Leo had described lust as a tightness deep within your belly, a weak feeling in your chest, and a heat like molten fire running through your veins instead of blood. Raf understood that this was the way he felt when he thought about Sasha, the fantasies that played out in his head notwithstanding. However, the thing that got him the most was the fact that he was sure he felt something more than just a want for her body. That wasn't all he liked about her. Bad manners and attitude aside, she was headstrong and defiant, refusing to let anyone bring her down. He didn't know how long she had been on her own, but she had managed to survive; being a young girl in a fighting pit that rivaled the gladiators of Rome, this was a hard thing to do. She was a rebel, just like he was, just like Rachel had been, and this only made him more attracted to her. Maybe, if she could learn to be civil, and treat others with kindness and dignity, he was sure she could become quite an agreeable person. Maybe, even, she could learn to like him back?

With Rachel, he had learned that it was possible to fall in love with a human and have her love him in return, and now that he had seen Leo do it, it was no longer something distant in the back of his mind. Still, he had a lot of work to do. There was this little problem he had to sort out, concerning the way she and A.J. had reacted towards each other. It would create problems between the two whenever A.J. came over to stay, though he had hoped that Leo's threat had made her reconsider pounding the little redhead into the ground next time. He may have been the one with the short temper, but when something his brother loved was in danger, he could turn into a turtle from hell, something out of a genuine nightmare. His fuse may have been a long one, but when he reached the end of it, even Raf didn't want to be in his way.

If this kept up, things were going to get extremely ugly extremely fast, and the outcome could wind up being something someone regretted. Raf could remember a time when their household had been shaken up like this. Order was just now beginning to settle in for the turtles; they didn't need something else creating chaos in their lives. He was actually enjoying getting along with his brothers and his father, and now a sister, and the peace that came along with them. In order to save the stability of his family, he would have to stop this little whirlwind in her tracks, and teach her a few lessons about living with four mutant turtles who happened to be proficient in martial arts.

Grinning wickedly, he clenched and then unclenched his fists.

_All right, Little Missy Tasmanian Devil,_ he thought._ Time to see what you're really made of. Let's see how long you last in_our_ ring._

_

* * *

_

The next night, Leo decided it was best the boys stay in, to look after A.J., who was still over, and Raf saw this as the perfect opportunity to really teach Sasha a lesson. There were a couple of ideas he had in mind he wanted to try, just to show her that not everything she decided to pound on couldn't fight back.

But before he could get downstairs, however, he bumped into Leo in the hallway.

"Raf, I need to talk to you for a minute," the blue-clad turtle began gravely. Raf rolled his eyes.

"It's about Sasha, ain't it?" he grumbled in reply. He'd already gotten a lecture from Master Splinter; he didn't need another one, especially from his older brother.

"Yes, it is," said Leo. "I'm going to make this quick, because I know you hate being lectured. All I'm going to say is this: you need to do something about her. You promised to take full responsibility for her, now you need to own up to that, because she's stepped out of line and gotten someone hurt. I'm not saying that what happened to A.J. was your fault; it wasn't, but you were the one who brought her down here, now you must face the consequences of your actions. And I'll warn you now, if something like this happens again, I'm going to take the matter into my own hands. In short, fix this now, or she goes. Understand?"

"Yeah yeah," said Raf. "I was on my way anyway."

"Good," said Leo as Raf pushed past him and headed for the stairs. "I promised I would protect her, as long as I drew breath," he said to himself as his brother's footsteps took him out of sight down the stairs. "And a ninja never goes back on a promise. I _will_ defend this family…by any and _all_ means possible."

Downstairs, Raf found Sasha in the kitchen, finishing up a crust of toast. At his entrance, she looked up, and something flashed across her face and through her eyes. It startled him because it was something he had never seen on her face before: fear.

If he didn't know better, he would say she was afraid of him.

But it was only momentary, because it was rapidly replaced by her normal, steely gray glare, and Raf guessed the emotion was only fleeting. He wasn't surprised, after their encounter last night, but he would have been happier if she had toppled off the chair she was sitting in because her fear had made her jump, and then lose her balance. Still, you couldn't have everything you wanted, so he just pointed a finger to the entrance to the dojo and barked, "You! In the dojo, now!"

She did jump then, and opened her mouth to protest, but as she had just stuffed the last of her toast into it, the words came out a garbled sludge of noise.

"I don't wanna hear about it, just get in there. And don't talk with your mouth full; it's nasty."

She grumbled something else, but she left the table and headed in the direction of Raf's finger. He waited until she had passed him by a few steps before following behind her.

In all the time she had been down here, she had never been inside the dojo, and looked around in wonder at the vast array of weapons and equipment they had in there.

"Damn! Is this where you guys train and stuff?"

While her back was turned to him, Raf was struck by an idea. He sort of hated to do it, because it was a bit dishonorable in more ways than one, but after the way she had been treating him, A.J. and his family, she deserved it. So, he moved quickly, swept her feet out from underneath her with his leg, knocked her onto her back, and pinned her there with his huge foot on her chest. Her eyes flashed, and she bared her teeth.

"What the hell was that for?" she screamed.

Raf grinned down at her.

"You outta watch your back more carefully. Never know who'll come up behind ya. I'd have thought you'd know that, bein' the great Tasmanian Devil you are."

She snarled, and Raf felt a nasty glow of triumph. He'd found a way to get to her. Hurting her pride did more damage that just slamming her to the ground, and the easiest way to wound her pride would be to beat her in a fight. She'd held an undefeated record in the Underground, so she had grown used to beating down any contender in the ring, but this was something entirely. He was willing to bet none of her opponents were as skilled in martial arts as he was.

"Let me up and I'll show you how tough I am!"

He grinned, and took his foot off her chest, then grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet. The moment he let her go, she swung her other fist up in a semi-circle, trying to smash it into his head, but he blocked it with his arm, then slid it over hers and pinned it to his side. She yelled as her arm twisted, then he kicked her feet out from under her, releasing her arm and causing her to fall on her back again.

"Too hasty," he said as he backed off to let her get to her feet. "At attack like that's fine for someone with slow reflexes, but it ain't gonna work on me."

She stood up, her eyes cold fire. They faced each other, her anger and frustration so thick Raf could have stuck his blades through it. He took a moment to again admire the toned muscles in her bare legs, as she was still in her oversized shirt and shorty-shorts. Boy, didn't he pick a great time to get into a fight with her!

She closed the distance between them in a few steps and smashed into him, harder than he had been expecting, so she jarred him a little, but it was nothing to what she felt as she bounced clear off his plastron, lost her balance and hit the ground.

"Fuckin' hell!" she yelled from the ground clutching her shoulder where she had tried to drive it into his stomach.

"Another attack that won't work on me," he said with a smirk. "I'm a turtle, and this protects me." He tapped his knuckles against his plastron, and stared down at her, where she was still nursing her shoulder, her face screwed up in pain. He wanted to comfort her, but knew that wouldn't go over well, so instead he scoffed. "I thought even you coulda figgered that. Geez, you ain't any better a thinker than ya are a fighter, are ya?"

Her eyes flashed, and she grunted as she tried to kick his feet out from under him, but he saw it coming out of the corner of his eye, and once again, his arm took the blow. He then took a few more steps backward to let her recover.

"What is this, anyway?" she muttered as she gathered her knees under her and rose to her feet again.

"Your punishment. Like I said last night, if ya need to vent your spleen on somethin' then do it on somethin' that can fight back. I can't have ya beatin' up on my sis."

"Why not?" she spat. "She pissed me off. Anyone who pisses me off gets pounded. It's as simple as that."

Raf raised an eyeridge.

"You don't know my brother. Believe me, if it were him in front of you instead of me, I bet you'd be pinned to that wall on his katanas, twitchin' your life away like a bug."

Her eyes widened.

"He'd really do that to me?"

Raf shrugged.

"Wouldn't put it past 'im. He loves A.J. like nothin' I ever seen before, and anythin' that dares harm her is a sworn enemy of his. Leo don't get mad easily, but when he does, especially if it has something to do with her, he can be pretty scary. He's gotten close to killin' for her before, and…"

He caught his tongue just in time. He had been about to say "…and so have I," but, as he had said the previous night, or rather, earlier that morning, the whole deal with the Orphan Train wasn't any of Sasha's business. The fact that she knew they existed was too much already; the last thing any of them wanted was her to have any information she could use to expose them, in case she ever escaped. Besides, that was a very personal topic for A.J., and they had agreed that she would decide who could know about it and who couldn't, if they didn't already. Sasha was obviously one of these people.

"He's crazy for her; we all are," he finished, but he could see in her eyes that she was not fooled. She had caught his little slip, and while she was smart enough not to ask any more questions, she wasn't about to let it go unnoticed.

"So he sent you down to beat me up instead?"

"Yeah, 'cause he knows I won't kill ya. Look, I'll even get rid of my sai."

He pulled his weapons, which he had just realized were thrust into his belt, out of it and threw them to the ground, where they stuck point-first into the mats. He had made such a habit of putting them into his belt as soon as he woke up that he sometimes forgot he'd done it.

She finally let go of her shoulder, stood up straight, and crossed her arms under her breasts, that cool look that she'd had in the Underground's ring back on her face.

"You sure you're gonna be any use without 'em? 'Cause I don't mind. I've taken out guys with weapons before."

He smirked again. Oh, this was going to be _fun._

"I know, but I've already proven I can kick ya inside out without my blades. Need me to do it again to make sure ya get the message?"

She assumed a fighting stance, with her legs apart, knees bent, and fists in the air.

"Bring it on, turtle-boy! Yaaaaaaah!"

Rather than let her come to him, which was getting boring, he met her charge, and they ran smack into each other, but she put her foot behind her immediately after the impact, and didn't fall. And, rather than block her punches and use them against her to throw her to the ground, which was also getting boring, he threw some back, and found out that she was faster than she had originally let on. He supposed years in the ring had taught her that, being as small and slight as she was, one blow could probably do some serious damage, and so to avoid them was of the utmost importance. This she proved as she dodged one attack after another, ducking and twisting with the grace of a cat. And, as easily as he blocked her strikes, she blocked his, though in her face it showed that she was taking her hits harder than he was.

Raf had to admit he was surprised, but he wasn't about to let her know that. Oh no, he was not going to let her think she had caught him off guard.

"Is this the best you can do?" he asked with a sneer as she tried to slam her knee into his side, and he blocked it. "Whoops. Not quite."

Her eyes flashed.

"You ain't seen nothin' yet!"

Raf threw his hands up in front of him, a mock gesture of surrender, an expression of sarcastic fear on his face.

"Oh, I'm so scared!"

She growled, and lashed out again. Raf jumped out of the way, laughing.

"Well, you're a little monster, ain't 'cha?"

She didn't respond, but her face turned dark red, and she attacked again. In the split-second before she closed the distance between them, Raf's eyes sought an opening, located one, and when she brought her fist towards his nose, he rapped her elbow with his hand, causing it to buckle, and stuck his foot out, entangling hers and causing her to loose her balance. What he hadn't counted on, however, was the sudden swiftness in her reaction time, and she pinned his arm to her side, using their twisted feet to also throw his balance and drag him to the ground with her. They both landed on their sides, Raf smacking the ground with his free arm to absorb the majority of the impact, and in a flash, she jumped up on top of him, trying to pin his wrists to the ground above his head with her hands.

"Gotcha!" she yelled triumphantly.

Floor work with a girl. Who was mad and obviously not thinking clearly. How much better could it get?

_Heh,_ Raf chuckled in his mind. _When's it gonna sink in that ya can't beat me?_

Thrusting his hips, he threw her off balance, pitching her both upward and forward at the same time. He caught a flash of wild panic in her eyes before he rolled her over and slammed her into the floor. In almost the same motion, he grabbed one of his sai, which was nearby, and raised it over his head. Sasha saw the blade directly above her, and blanched in terror. His eyes, though she knew them to be brown, looked red from her position, and his face had hardened, his teeth clenched and bared into a snarl, his eyeridges drawn together and his eyes blazing. He brought the sai straight down towards her, and she flinched, screwing her eyes shut and tightening her lips, certain this was her end. She felt an indentation in the mat next to her head, and then felt it give way a second later. But there was no pain, only Raf's heavy breathing against her face and neck, and tentatively, she opened her eyes.

His blade stood directly next to her right eye, barely touching her face, its point buried into the mat. As the adrenaline rush slowly began to subside, relief began to creep into her system, but she didn't dare let out her breath. His body was still pressed, hot and heavy over hers, though her hands and feet felt like ice, and his eyes still burned into hers. She continued to stare at him, watching the flames fade, though his irises still had a reddish light in them. She felt numb; she couldn't move, as though his eyes alone were what was pinning her down and nothing else. His hand was somewhere next to her shoulder, bent at the elbow as he crouched low over her, not laying directly on top of her, but restricting any movement on her part. His breathing slowed, and she finally realized that she would pass out if she didn't breathe, so she let the air hiss out of her lungs before slowly drawing it back in.

"What…?" she stammered. "I thought that once you put a turtle on his back he was fucked!"

He didn't reply for a moment, but she heard his grip tighten on the sai above her head. This was the second time he'd had her in a position where he could have killed her, and hadn't. What was holding him back? At last, he smirked. A slight movement of his head erased the red from his eyes, changing them back to dark brown, and she realized that it was only a trick of the light. Must have had something to do with his mask.

"I'm no ordinary turtle," he said. He yanked the sai out of floor, tucked it into his belt, and then brought his face very close to hers. "Be grateful that it's me here instead of Leo. If you pull another stunt like this, you'll be damned lucky if you ever see the sunlight again!"

And in one rapid, liquid movement, he was on his feet, grabbing the other sai from the floor, and heading out of the door, leaving Sasha still flat on her back, her palms pressed to the mat, her knees apart and sticking up towards the ceiling, to reflect on what he had just said. This time, it wasn't only her hands and feet that felt cold as ice.

**This was a helluva lot of fun to write! So loving Raf right now! Anyway, I sort have been neglecting the Raf/Rachel story; I promise I'll write some more on that in the next chapter. **

**So, the two ideas I have for the title are TMNT: The Opal Chronicles, courtesy of PreMaturePoet, and TMNT: Into Forever, by me. I can't really think of anything else, so again, anything you guys have would be helpful. And I've posted Raf's poem in Love Poems, so feel free to check that out if you're interested.**

**Review, if you want the next chap! **


	10. Chapter 10: Are You Unforgiven, Too?

**Wowwwwww, SO SORRY for the absence! I've just had homework, exams, friends, family, drama, other story ideas and writer's block pile up on me, and I haven't been able to get to this one in a while! But I did get my Blade oneshot finished, so if anyone is interested you can go look at that, so now I can finally sit down and give this story some badly needed attention! I was originally going to do a short chapter dealing with the Raf/Rachel story and then post this chapter, but since I've been gone so long, I decided to make it up to you and give you guys the goods instead! This is the chapter you've all been waiting for, so enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: Metallica and their lyrics do not belong to me.**

As the weeks passed, the newest arrival to their underground home began to adjust to life in the sewers with four mutant turtles and a giant mutant rat. Though she still skulked around with dark resentment on her face, she stopped lashing out, only snapping if she was spoken to, and stopping her fists all together, at least not on A.J., Mikey, Donny, and certainly not Leo. Even the amount of curse words she used in a sentence went down as each week progressed. It wasn't perfect, but it was getting there, and Leo no longer threatened to throw her out. However, there was a very noticeable darkness in is eyes when he watched A.J. hobble around, her foot encased in a swath of bandages. Her wound had been a bad one, and because of the constant use, it was taking a long time to heal. Still, she had survived worse, and limped around cheerfully, something that made Sasha scratch her head in wonder. She had expected the redhead to be a real bitch to her afterwards, but the only thing that changed was that A.J.'s attitude towards her was just a little chillier than it had been. She was no less polite to her than anyone else, and quietly got out of her way if they were alone in a room together. It made the Tasmanian Devil feel a little guilty, which also surprised her, and though she wasn't exactly nice to her, she tried her best to leave her alone, only speaking to her if she absolutely had to, or to answer a question.

Raf continued their meetings in the dojo almost every other night, except instead of always sparring her, he began to teach her basic marital arts techniques, which she could then incorporate into her street fighting, and then bring that into the ring when they did spar. At first she didn't like what he was doing, but she could see she had no choice, and she found it was better when she did. She slept better, found her appetite increased, and was altogether less grouchy. When she asked Raf why he was doing this for her, he replied, "'Cause ya need somethin' to do. Plus, you're a great fighter, but you've got the potential to be even greater." She was strangely complimented as well as mystified by these words, but she figured it was better than sitting in a jail cell awaiting trial, and talking to some quack lawyer provided to her by state that wanted to see her get life as much as the rest of the world did, so she went along with it.

So when Raf came down the stairs one night to grab a snack, he wasn't surprised to see Sasha just continue to sit in front of the TV, watching the news cover a story about some important businessman's murder. Leo had given them the night off, and was up in his room with A.J. Mikey and Donny were sparring in the dojo, and Master Splinter was in his rooms, doing whatever it was that he did when he was in there. As he headed over to the fridge and poked his nose into it, he had to admire how much she had improved. A few weeks ago, she would have jumped and raised her fists. Now, she just sat there, placidly used to his presence, wearing a pair of beaten gray sweatpants and a faded black jacket that A.J. had give her. In the winter months, the sewers could get very cold, especially at night, and though the turtles had their well-muscled frames to keep them warm, Sasha and A.J. had chattering teeth constantly. Since the prison had taken the clothing Sasha had been wearing the night of her arrest, including her leather jacket, A.J. had been kind enough to bring her one of her brother David's old ones, now too small for him.

Maybe she was just ignoring him. That wouldn't be very surprising. Except for their lessons, she hardly spoke two words to him, and avoided eye contact whenever their paths crossed. But Raf wasn't fooled, and neither were his brothers. All four of them had witnessed the dark flush that reddened her cheeks whenever he came into the room, and why she dropped her eyes and shut her mouth. All of the boys were sure she was hiding some sort of affection for him, and Leo had said that A.J. had noticed, too. And she was a girl, and understood these kinds of things, which made it all the more believable. Raf was really liking that idea.

There was nothing that looked appetizing, so he left the kitchen and wandered into the living room, deciding he'd strike up a conversation.

"Anythin' good on?" he asked, and Sasha jumped straight up and onto her feet, whirling around to find him standing at the other end of the couch.

"_Shit!" _she hissed. "Don't do that!"

He was slightly taken aback by her reaction. He'd thought she'd heard him come in.

"Did I scare ya?"

"No shit, Sherlock. I didn't jump up 'cause I was happy to see ya."

"Ya sure about that?"

"Yeah I am, actually."

"Really?"

She glared at him.

"Fuck you."

"Ya would, huh?"

Her eyes widened, and a reddish tinge appeared on her cheekbones.

"W-wha…?...shut up! Ya think you're just the hot, mutant shit don't 'cha?"

Raf looked at her with raised eyeridges, and then shook his head.

"You're goin' to Hell in a handbasket," he said.

At first she frowned, confused by the comment, then retorted, "I _am_ Hell in a handbasket!"

The heat of a fight coming on made a wide, nasty grin spread across Raf's face. Teasing her was way more fun than Leo or Donny, because the two of them didn't get riled very easily, A.J. would just blush and giggle, and Mikey knew how to take a joke. Sasha, on the other hand, didn't, and it was fun watching her get all upset, and lose her temper, only to have him kick her butt. He snapped back, "I'll _send_ ya to Hell in a handbasket!"

"Oh, will ya?"

"Yeah!"

"Ha! In your dreams, freak! You couldn't get me across this room in a handbasket, much less all the way to Hell!"

He paused for a moment, thinking of a reply. She could talk big, but didn't she know by now that she couldn't beat him? Finally, he smirked and said, "Then I think I'm gonna need a bigger handbasket."

That made her mad. She shrieked and swung a punch at him, which he dodged easily and lunged at her, pinning her arms to her sides and flipping her over his leg, which he had slipped behind hers. He threw her to the ground and she landed flat on her back. Furious, she kicked his feet out from underneath him in retaliation. Though his legs were strong enough to have easily withstood the blow, he fell anyway, not wanting to pass up a chance to roll on the floor with her again. He was laughing as she jumped on him, straddling his stomach between her legs.

"Couldn't wait to get on top of me again, huh?"

He was pleased to see her eyes flash, and her face turn bright red. It meant he was right, but she wasn't about to let him know that. She wouldn't let him have that satisfaction. She swung her fist at him, and this time he grabbed her hand, his own practically enveloping hers. She tried to muscle her fist down anyways, but it was his strength against hers, and she didn't stand a chance. After a moment's struggle, he rolled her over.

"Unfortunately for you, I don't like bein' on the bottom. Sorry to disappoint ya!"

"You're such a fuckin' creep!" she screamed as he rose up on his arms over her. She got her legs underneath him, put her feet against his chest and pushed, rolling backwards over her shoulder. He let her go, getting to his feet as she did, enjoying the challenge. He'd never had this much fun in love before.

She jumped onto the couch and tried to escape over the back, but he grabbed her by the belt and yanked her back again. She tried to bring her elbow around and smash it into his nose, but he ducked and her arm flew over his head. She tried to draw it back to her, but he brought his head back up and it encircled his neck, right where he wanted it. Quickly, before she came up with some creative way to escape, he slid his own arm under hers and gripped the back of her head by a fistful of her short black hair. He saw a flash of anger and panic in her eyes along with the pain, and he wanted to tell her that he hadn't meant to hurt her, but he didn't. Girls were still strange territory for him. He had no idea how to be gentle with them, how to make them feel safe, make them feel loved. All he seemed to be able to do was scare them. Still, Sasha had run away too many times. It was time to let her know how he really felt, and find out if she was brave enough to return those feelings.

He pulled her to him and locked his mouth on hers.

She sucked in her breath through her nose when their lips touched, whimpered in the back of her throat, and tried to push him away. He held on, determined to get his message across. He put his other arm around her waist and pressed her hips to his stomach, though her body was twisted around and all he got was one of her thighs. After a moment, she surrendered and kissed back, untwisting her legs and wrapping the other arm around his neck as her lips parted.

Still awkward but unwilling to hold himself back now, he shoved his tongue into her mouth. He had kissed only one other girl like this before in his life, and even though he knew no two people were the same, he was still surprised at how much different Sasha's mouth was from Rachel's. Different shape, different taste, even a different texture. Fascinated, he explored every corner: inside her cheeks, behind her teeth, the roof of her mouth, her own, smaller tongue wrestling with his.

He wondered if the rest of her was just as interesting.

She pulled away, much too soon for his liking, but she didn't go far. There was a thread of saliva strung between their bottom lips, and they both had spit all over their faces. He had forgotten how messy kissing could be. Uncontrollably, his eyes dropped and he saw the small brown slope of her breasts through the zipper of her jacket, which was open to about her breastbone. Heat boiled up within him, his heartbeat picked up, the blood pounding in his ears as her chest swelled with the intake of her breath. He had just come to the realization that she wasn't wearing anything underneath that jacket.

_Oh man,_ he thought, imagining that skin beneath his fingers. _I'm losin' it._

He forced himself to look up, but she had seen. A look he had never seen before appeared on her face, and one corner of her mouth turned up. This time, however, she wasn't sneering or looking down on anyone. This time, the mischievous glitter in her eyes told him exactly what she wanted.

"Ya don't waste any time, do ya?"

"Patience ain't exactly high on my list of virtues," he told her. Their faces were so close, and her lips were so soft, even if they were thin. He wanted to kiss her again, and this time, not break away from her, ever. This moment, the both of them on their knees on the couch, her arms locked around his neck, the homey, cotton smell of her jacket, the taste of her mouth. Raf savored it all, then he spoke again.

"I don't exactly know how to be a gentleman either."

"Who said I was lookin' for one?" she replied, a fire in her eyes he knew was not anger. With that, she let go of him, unzipped the jacket, and ripped it off her shoulders.

Raf's eyes widened, nearly big enough to pop out of his head. He had been right; she wasn't wearing anything under the jacket, not even a bra. For a moment he froze, staring at her half-naked body, his mind completely blanking out. Then he placed his hands on her sides, sliding them up as she closed her eyes and arched her back. He turned off all rational thought and gave into his desire. He knew he smiled at some point, though he was barely aware of it.

"I gotta be dreamin' or somethin'," he heard himself say.

"If you're dreamin', then that must mean I am too, 'cause it ain't like nothin's happenin' over here," she said, ending with a slight gasp as his hands slid over her breasts and stopped.

"Ya wonder if two people can have the same dream at once?"

"I don't fuckin' care."

No questions asked, no more words to speak. He drove her backwards into the couch, and whether he hurt her or not, he didn't care.

* * *

Leo and A.J. were on their way to the kitchen to make some popcorn when they heard a _thud!_ and the sounds of a struggle. They stopped and looked at each other, brows furrowed in identical expressions of confusion.

"Good heavens," said A.J. "What's going on? I thought Mikey and Donny were in the dojo sparring."

"They were the last time I was in there. My guess is Raf and Sasha are fighting agaaaaaiiinn; no, they're not!"

As he had been speaking, Leo looked down into the living room from the second floor, then immediately threw a hand up to the side of his face to block his view, holding out his "again" as he turned around. The scene below had been one he was expecting to happen eventually, but not so soon, and he certainly hadn't been expecting walk in on them, either. He had expected to hear about it from Raf later on.

A confused smile on her face at her boyfriend's silly antics, A.J. tried to get around him to see what was happening.

"Well, then what are they _doing_ down there?"

Leo grabbed her up in his arms before she managed to get a look, knowing that his brother needed a little privacy.

"Come on, I'm not really hungry anyway."

She giggled and blushed furiously as he swept her down the hall to his bedroom.

* * *

He didn't open his eyes even when the _thud! _of two bodies hitting the floor reached his ears. A discreet smile crossed his lips as he listened to the voices in the next room.

"_OW_! Bitch! Ya couldn't have been any gentler about it?"

"Well, sorry! Ya wanna stop?"

"Did I say that?"

"No."

"Then…?"

_First Leonardo, now Raphael,_ he thought, now understanding how parents of human children felt when their kids go off to college. His sons were growing up so fast; it seemed only yesterday he had dropped them into the toxic green ooze.

From the living room, Sasha gasped, then let out a high-pitched moan that was so unlike her usual, darker voice.

He'd know it was going to happen sooner or later. He'd know it from the moment the two of them walked in through the door. True, she was fiery and hot-tempered like Raphael, likely to lash out at anyone who made her angry, and she had the most foul vocabulary of anyone he had ever seen, but that was no reason to assume that there wasn't some good left in her. She and Raphael clashed so much: but it was impossible for them to hide their growing affection for each other.

He remembered the night he had warned his son about her, and that if she continued to treat their family in such a disrespectful and violent manner, then he was going to throw her out. He had remained steadfast in his promise, yet over the past few weeks, she had shown a significant improvement, both in her attitude and her language. It seemed Raphael had remained true to his word as well, and was now collecting the rewards for his efforts.

* * *

Raf and Sasha lay on their backs sometime later, hot and out of breath. Raf wiped sweat off his forehead and then the back of his neck. The whole deal had been a lot wetter and messier than he'd thought it was going to be, and looking over at Sasha, he could see that she was drenched, her brown skin glistening as she caught her breath, despite the cold of the floor beneath them.

"Was that your first time?" he asked her, wondering if that was a rude question.

"Yeah," she said. "Yours too?"

"Uh-huh."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Huh. Ya sure seemed like ya knew what you were doin'."

"Instinct."

"Oh…right. Well, what would I know? I got nothin' to compare to."

"You ain't bad yourself, ya know," he said, the memory still vivid in his mind. The feel of her hips rocking beneath him, her face flushing redder and redder as the pressure built up inside her and she moaned, _"Harder! Faster!"_ to which he gladly obliged. But, no matter how hard time beat at him, he knew he would never forget the way she had cried out his name when her climax roared through her body, and then his.

_"Oh, Raphael!"_

It was the first time he had ever heard her say his name, let alone his full name.

"Am I?" she asked, breaking his thoughts. She rolled over onto her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows.

"Yeah," he told her. "But hey, I'm like you. I don't know any different."

"So we both could totally suck and not know it."

"You don't suck. Not to me, anyway."

One corner of her mouth turned up. "Thanks." Then her smile faded. "So, what happens now?"

"Well…" he thought for a minute. Dare he ask her? What would she say? They had come this far. Who was to say they couldn't go farther? It had worked with Rachel; why shouldn't it work for Sasha?

He decided to give it a shot. After all, he had much more to gain than he did to lose.

"I could ask ya to be my girlfriend."

This time, she smiled, really smiled. Not a mean, cruel smirk, but a real smile of true happiness.

"And I could say yes."

He turned his head and searched her gray eyes. Was that a yes? Was she actually saying yes to him?

"So…?"

"What?"

"How 'bout it? You wanna be my girlfriend?"

"Sure."

He rolled over onto his stomach so suddenly that his arm smacked the brick of the floor, staring at her. He couldn't believe his ears. He had heard it a thousand times in his head, but never from her.

"You're serious?"

"Sure. I mean, ya did give me a place to stay, food to eat, and protection from the law. I kind of owe ya."

"Hold on," he stopped her. "I don't want 'cha to say yes because ya feel ya have to. Ya don't. You only have to agree if ya like me."

Her answer came without hesitation.

"Hell yeah, I like ya. You're the only guy besides my dad…and your brothers too, I guess…that's actually been nice to me. I mean, the only men I've ever known have either tried to kick my ass or rape me."

His eyeridges knitted together with concern.

"Guys've tried to rape you?"

She looked at him like he was an imbecile.

"In the right mindset, guys'll rape anythin' that stands still long enough. But a couple of uppercuts and a swift kick to the balls told them they were messin' with the wrong girl."

She grinned, as if cherishing the memory, and Raf wondered f he hadn't done the exact same thing. She hadn't tried to kill him, though she had resisted a little at first, but he hadn't exactly asked permission, either. He wondered if he had forced her into it, just like those low-lifes had done to A.J., and the thought made him shudder. Those slimeballs had caused her so much pain, and to think that he could be put into the same category was almost more than he could bear.

"What's the matter?" she asked, breaking his thoughts again.

He blinked.

"Huh?"

"Ya look worried."

"Really?" He was flattered and rather pleased to see that she was expressing concern for someone other than herself, especially because it was for him. "I was just wonderin' if I didn't do the same thing to you. I mean, I kinda threw myself at 'cha."

"Ya hear any complaints over here?"

"No."

She waved her hand. "There you go."

"But did ya really want to? Ya didn't just do it because…?"

She laughed, a soft, deep sound in the back of her throat that was pleasant to Raf's ears.

"You worry too much. 'Course I wanted to. This is my virginity we're talkin' about here. Ya don't think I'd give it up to just any loser, do ya? Nope, you got my full consent, and hey, I enjoyed myself. I came, didn't I?"

"Me too," he said, moving closer to her. He put a hand on her tousled hair and kissed her. She kissed back, her eyelashes brushing his nose.

"Great," she said when he broke away. "Now I'm probably gonna get pregnant. Wait, can you guys even have kids?"

"I dunno," he answered. The idea had never occurred to him, but maybe it was because he'd never had a reason for it. "Never thought about it."

They were quiet for a time, mulling it over. Then Raf changed the subject. It had occurred to him how little he knew about his new girlfriend.

"Ya mentioned your dad. Where are your parents? Ya told me that night I sprang you from jail that you had nowhere to go."

"My parents live in San Francisco. Or at least they did five years ago; I dunno if they still do." She stopped to take a breath, then held up her hand when he opened his mouth. "I know. You're wonderin' what the hell I'm doin' here if my family's on the other side of the country. I'll tell ya, and don't worry. It's all true. I ain't gonna lie to ya or nothin'.

"I was an only child. I never had any brothers or sisters, so you can imagine this has been pretty weird for me."

Raf, who couldn't imagine life without his brothers, had to nod assent. He could only imagine how it must have been for her to get used to Mikey, Donny, Leo and A.J.

"I was three when my parents decided to get married. For ten years, they managed to hold it out. Then, when I turned thirteen, they told me they were getting' a divorce. I was shocked. I thought they loved each other. They certainly had me fooled. I just sat there when they told me. I couldn't believe it. I had no clue: no warnin'. I'd never heard them fight, and they always got along fine. I guess I'll never know what caused their marriage to fall apart. I remember lying awake that night, wonderin' if I would cry. I never shed a tear, even when they fought over me in court. I just sat there in a daze, like I'd been drugged or somethin'. In the end, my dad got custody of me, along with our house, but once the divorce went through, I'd made up my mind. I was gonna live in a complete household, or none at all. So, when my father and I returned home that night, I packed some clothes, a brush, a toothbrush, and all the money I had into a backpack and got the hell outta there. I got on a bus and bought a one-way ticket to New York, a place I always wanted to go, and to get as far away as I possible could. I never looked back.

"I had no idea what I was gonna do when I got there, or how I was gonna survive. I was too young to get a job, but I was too proud to sell myself into prostitution or beg. I stayed out on the streets and ate only once or twice a day to conserve money, then, totally by accident, I stumbled on a drug pushin' operation, and found a job packin' boxes of illegal drugs into trucks. It was hard work for a young girl, and I didn't get paid much, but it put food in my mouth and I was able to get a place to stay. I kept it up for a few months, then I heard about the New York City Underground.

"I'd always enjoyed wrestlin' with my dad and some boy cousins when I was younger, so I decided to check it out, especially when I heard about the kind of money you can make if ya win. So, one night after work, I wandered down to their meetin' place.

"I knew that what I was doin' was stupid, and I was gamblin' with more than my life when I went down there. Drugs, alcohol, whores, fightin': it wasn't the greatest place for a girl to get caught up. I knew I was gonna have to win their respect if I was gonna make my way through there, but I couldn't do that without winnin' a fight. So, at first, I spent my time hidin' out so no one would find me and challenge me, watchin' the fights, figurin' out what made a winner and what made a loser. I watched the moves, and how they worked. Once I could tell who was gonna win from a glance, I made a little extra money bettin' on the fights. I was pretty good at it. I did this for about a year and a half, then I stepped into the ring. I was only fourteen years old, small and skinny, but my muscles were hardened from liftin' heavy crates of heroine and stuff, and I thought I knew what I was doin'."

She had been looking at her hands as she had been speaking, and now she raised her head and stared straight into his eyes. Her pale, empty gaze pierced him right through, but now there was something there that he had never seen before: pain. Not the physical pain that he had caused when he pulled her hair, but the deep kind that never showed on the outside. The kind that showed in A.J. whenever she brought up her ordeal, the kind he saw in Rachel's eyes whenever she thought about her father, and the kind he had seen in his own reflection a few months ago, whenever he reflected on his broken family.

"I lost every single fight I was in. Every goddamn fight. Most of the time, it didn't take long. Just one punch and I was down, runnin' for my life while everyone watchin' laughed and jeered. I endured a lot those early years. They called me "girly" and told me to go home and play with my dolls. They said to get the hell out and if I ever showed my face again I'd better have a plate of cookies or a thong on. They made me so sick I'd throw up as soon as I got outta there. But I never gave up. I hardened myself to all emotion, knowin' that if I was gonna survive in this hellhole, I'd have to learn to feel nothin'. I learned to stare down a man twice my size, and to turn a deaf ear to their insults. I learned to use my size and speed as weapons, strikin' like lightenin' and hittin' them real hard before they had a chance to retaliate. It always worked. Slowly, I worked my way up to the top of the heap until I beat everyone I challenged, and you had to be either really brave or really, really stupid to challenge me. They called me the Tasmanian Devil, because I was always stronger with my back to the wall, and I always fought harder when I was backed into a corner. Soon, I was makin' enough money to quit my job, somethin' I was glad a hell to do."

She smiled sadly as her story came to a close. Raf didn't know what to say. She'd had a hard life; what _could_ he say? He'd never exactly been a great source of consolation: A.J. and Rachel had proven that several times over, and words of comfort often found themselves stuck in his throat, and dead weight like lead on his tongue. Fortunately, she either didn't notice his silence, or she didn't mind.

"Thanks, Raf. I really needed this."

"Needed what?"

"Someone to talk to. I never told anyone this before, 'cause there's no one who'd listen. It's been fun kickin' ass, but my life's a lonely one. You took time out for me, and ya didn't give up on me. So thank you."

"You welcome," he said, hardly believing his ears. Over the past few weeks, she had improved vastly in attitude and even in her language, but this was the first time he had heard the words "thank you" leave her lips. "Sorry I ain't got nothin' to say to ya. I was never very good at comfortin'."

"Ah, it's fine. I'm the kind of girl that don't need much comfortin'. Anyway, I'm kinda glad you guys busted the Underground. I really wasn't gettin' anythin' out of it, 'cept money. Now I got you."

He smiled, and kissed her again.

"Yep. And I ain't goin' nowhere."

After he said these words, she rolled over and stretched her arms above her head, the muscles rippling down her body. She sighed deeply.

"Ya know, it feels pretty good to be weak once in a while. Put your arms around me; I like it when ya hold me."

"Yes ma'am," he said, pulling her close and pressing the length of his body against hers. They were quiet for a time, getting used to the feel of each other and enjoying each other's presence. Raf could scarcely believe this was happening. He was happy it was, but at the same time, he couldn't help but wonder if it was all just a dream, and he would wake up to another one of Sasha's attempts to punch him in the face. Was he really looking down at the Tasmanian Devil lying in his arms, a look of deepest content on her face? Had her cries of pleasure half an hour before never been real?

No. This was not a dream. He was conscious: all his fine-tuned senses functioning, his grip on reality as firm as ever. This was all happening: he was not asleep, and he certainly wasn't dead.

"Do you know this song?"

"Huh?"

For the third time, she broke his thoughts.

"The song that's playin' on the radio. Ya know it?"

He listened, and caught only four lines before the vocals dissolved into a guitar solo.

_"What I've felt, what I've known, _

_So sick and tired I stand alone._

_Could you be there, 'cause I'm the one who waits for you?_

_Or are you unforgiven, too?"_

He shook his head.

"Nope."

"Metallica," she told him. "_The Unforgiven II._ They're one of my favorite bands."

"Really?"

He hated to sound mean, but he didn't really care. He knew the band; he'd seen some of their music videos on TV, but he didn't really think very much of them. They weren't exactly his taste in music. Plus, he didn't want to talk about music with her, at least not right now.

"Mm-hmm," Sasha was saying. "Their music helped me a lot over the years. It's damn easy to forget all the shit in your life when you've got them blastin' in your ears." She looked up at him. "After everythin' I've been through, I can't really see myself as bein' any more than unforgiven. How 'bout you, Raf? You unforgiven, too?"

"Dunno," he said, caressing her belly. "Depends on who's doin' the forgivin', I guess."

Her laugh rolled deep in the back of her throat, and she closed her eyes. As she did so, Raf's own darted quickly around the room to make sure no one was coming. Nothing would have been more embarrassing than to have one of his brothers walk in right now, or worse, Splinter or A.J. They would know in time. He'd tell them eventually, but they needed to hear it come from _his_ lips, and at the moment, they were busy. Plus, no one needed any visuals.

_Well, _he thought as he bent over to kiss her once more._ Guess I'll have to ask Master Splinter for my own room, now._

**So there you have it! It feels really good to be back and I hope I didn't disappoint! I think Metallica's The Unforgiven II is a really great song that describes Raf and Sasha's relationship, especially if you listen to the whole thing. It's a really good song, and I'd encourage anyone to check it out. Plus, Sasha strikes me as someone who likes old rock/metal bands like Metallica and ZZ Top.**

**Please leave a review, and tell me how much you missed me! XD**


	11. Chapter 11: Liar's Eyes

**I'm dedicating this chapter to a friend of mine in my Creative Writing class. Thanks to her, I am back on a Ninja Turtles high, and will be updating furiously for a while! Yay, Kristine! **

**My high was also induced by this fan-made video I watched on YouTube that used clips from the 2007 movie and set them to a string arrangement of the song "Animal I have Become" by Three Days Grace. I love that song, and I'm also a classically trained violinist, so you can imagine what a find that was for me. Rock music, classically arranged, and Ninja Turtles. Three of my favorite things combined in one: quite a jewel if I do say so myself. So my thanks goes to whoever made that video: you've also made this chapter possible!**

**Disclaimer: Lordi and their lyrics do not belong to me.**

_After that second meeting, Raf could no longer keep his mind off her. She kept creeping into his brain like a mouse you could never seem to get rid of, no matter how many traps you set. He often found himself distracted while trying to be alert to criminal activity, letting police reports go by without even realizing, thinking about her mysterious eyes and how they changed from blue to purple whenever she moved. He spent a little more time patrolling her area of town, telling himself that her neighborhood was a bad one and needed his extra attention, but he wasn't able to excuse the ten minutes he took out of his night to make sure she got home safely._

_He probably would have sat around and questioned his feelings, but he knew that was something Leo would have done, if he ever got this lucky. Raf smirked to himself. As if Leo could get any action like this. Plus, what was there to question? She was pretty, he liked her, and she seemed to be taking an interest in him as well, which was something that had never happened before, and he intended to pursue it with all his might. Living down in the sewers with only his brothers and his father with little contact with the outside world could get very lonely, and being outside, protecting the city that they lived in made it all the worse. Standing up on the rooftops, watching over the humans on the street, knowing that he would never be a part of that world created a sort of ache inside him that he had no idea how to soothe. _

_Until now, anyway. _

_Somehow, whenever he thought about her, that ache he felt dissipated, at least for a while, and was replaced by something he didn't understand, a funny, giddy kind of feeling he didn't recognize. He was sure he had never felt this way before, and his rational mind (what little was there, anyway) told him that it was because he'd never gotten this close to a girl before, much less spoken outright to one. He and his brothers tried so hard to remain like shadows, both in battle and on the streets, and really the only other girl he had ever come into contact with was Karai, the Shredder's daughter, and there was no debate about his feelings for her. Rachel didn't seem the least bit bothered by the fact that he had never shown his face to her, and treated him just like she would one of her human friends at school. He didn't see any reason for him to run away from her, even though he wasn't prone to making friends, and didn't think he was very good at it. _

_It was a shot he wanted to take, and that was how he found himself on the building across from her apartment, looking into her open window._

_It was a Saturday night, and she didn't work those nights, so that was why ten-thirty or so at night found her in her room with the window open, blasting some rock music he had never heard before. Her brown hair was out of its ponytail and flashing in the light as she threw it back and forth and left to right with the music. She was also singing at the top of her lungs along with the vocalist's gravelly voice. Couldn't carry a tune in a bucket to save her life, but that didn't seem to bother her. Under his helmet, Raf had to grin. She looked a little silly, but she also looked like she was having a lot of fun with it. _

"Would you love a monsterman

Could you understand the beauty of the beast?

I would do it all for you, would you do it all

Do it all for me?"

_"Now ain't that the truth?" he asked out loud as the song ended and she turned off her stereo. When she came to look out the window, she caught him completely off guard, both in her actions, and when she called out._

_"Hey! You did come!"_

_She thought he was staying true to the promise he had made the last time he met her, and he was so startled that he couldn't possibly come up with an excuse._

_"Uh, yeah!" he yelled back, jumping from the roof to land on the fire escape, one hand clinging to the ladder. "Told ya I would, didn't I?"_

_"Sure did," she said. "You got a few minutes to spare out of your busy night fighting crime?"_

_"Sure," he said. He felt a little bad lying to her, but hey, he got to spend some time with her. That was far preferable to racing all over the streets looking for a fight, or going home to his brothers and finding one._

_She stepped back, and made a sweeping gesture with her arm._

_"C'mon in."_

_He hesitated._

_"You sure 'bout this? I mean, your parents won't mind?"_

_She snorted._

_"My mom ain't here. She's out with her new boyfriend, and won't be back 'till late."_

_"Boyfriend?" he asked as he came through the window, a bit of a squeeze, especially around the shell area. "Where's your dad?"_

_She shrugged._

_"No clue. Dead, I hope. Actually no, not really. I wanna meet him one day, and beat his ass for what he did to my mom."_

_Her eyes flashed blue fire._

_"What'd he do to your mom?"_

_"Me."_

_For a moment, he was silent, trying to figure out exactly what she meant by that. Because if his silence, she sighed, and her face smoothed out._

_"Sorry. I didn't mean to get all upset like that. It's just…" she turned and sat down on her bed. "My dad raped my mom when she was seventeen: my age. He was her boyfriend, and he was always patient and loving to her. Well, one day, he said she'd been refusing him long enough, and threw her down…and…well, you get it."_

_"Sorry," was all he could say. Her eyes were dry, which was something he wasn't expecting. He supposed all her tears had been exhausted a long time ago. "I don't really know how to…I mean…I'm ain't really…"_

_"Nah, don't worry about it. I'm really glad it happened, because if it didn't, I wouldn't be here, and my mom says the same thing."_

_It sounded like something Master Splinter would say. Everything that happens in this world has its consequences, both good and bad, and sometimes even the cruelest and most unimaginable of circumstances can lead to blessings._

_"It's where I got my eyes," she was saying. "If you look at me and my mom, we look almost nothing alike. She says my eyes are the same as my father's: this purpley-blue color."_

_"So every time she looks at you, she sees your dad."_

_She shook her head. _

_"I wondered that too, but she says no. She says they're nothing like my father's because he had the light of a liar in his eyes." She shrugged. "Dunno what the heck that means, but at least I'm not a painful reminder. But hey, forget about that. Welcome to my room!"_

_Raf took the moment to look around the small space. The walls were covered from floor to ceiling with posters, drawings and paintings: sheets of paper with paint on them pinned to the wall with no frames to speak of. There were photographs of her and other people who were probably her friends, also pinned to the wall with thumbtacks, and there was even what looked like a worn and tattered book cover stuck up above her dresser._

_"Did you draw all of these?" he asked, pointing around at the artwork._

_"Not all of them. A couple were some things my friends gave me, like for birthday presents and stuff. That one there, and that one over there, too."_

_She pointed to one that looked like the viewer was staring down a pathway in an old park where the trees were in autumn color, and another that turned out to be a portrait of her when Raf took a second glance at it._

_"Pretty good," he said. _

_"Me and my friends are really into artsy kind of stuff. We draw and paint and listen to music, pretty much. What about you? What do you do in your spare time? I mean, aside from fighting crime?"_

_Raf had discovered her collection of Ghost Rider comic books sitting on the top of her dresser. Picking one up, he flipped through it, the images on the pages flashing across the visor of his helmet. It was an issue he recognized, and had read himself. _

_"Read these things," he said, waving it for her to see, and she grinned. "I don't really like comic books, but Ghost Rider's pretty cool. I used to play video games with my brothers too, sometimes, but not so much anymore. Not since Leo left."_

_"Leo?"_

_Silently, Raf chided himself for giving away one of their names, but then realized that it was probably okay, since it hadn't been a full name. Plus, Leo wasn't here anyway._

_"My older brother."_

_"How many brothers do you have?"_

_"Three."_

_"Three?" she cried in surprise. "Good Lord! I'm an only child, so I can't imagine. I always kinda wondered what it would be like to have a sibling, though."_

_"You don't want 'em. Not brothers, anyway. Dunno 'bout sisters; I never had any."_

_"Oh. What happened to Leo? Did he run away?"_

_Raf had to pause before he answered. He couldn't reveal to her exactly what Leo had run off to do, and he was still unsure if he was ever coming back. _

_"Yeah. Somethin' like that."_

_"What happened? Did he have a fight with your parents or something?" His sigh must have sounded more annoyed and sinister than he'd intended, because she immediately spluttered, "I-I'm sorry! Was that too personal? I didn't mean to pry, I just get really curious, especially when I meet new people. It'll be the death of me someday, I swear. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."_

_He didn't. Just thinking about Leo made him angry._

_"Yeah. A fight," he said shortly._

_They froze to the sound of a key turning in a lock, and then two sets of voices, a woman's and a man's. Rachel's head snapped towards the door._

_"My mom's home!" she hissed. "I didn't know she was going to be back so soon! You should get outta h…"_

_Turning back to the spot where he had been standing, she found she was alone in the room._

**Short chapter, I know, but the next one will be longer. I know I keep using snatches of songs in my stories, but I really think it helps convey the underlying moods here. **

**If you want more, go leave a review!**


	12. Chapter 12: Murder!

**So a really long chapter to make up for my absence, and just when you thought it was safe to go back into the sewers, HA HA!! In order to understand what the heck I'm talking about, you'll have to read on. (If you still don't get it by the end, feel free to tell me. I won't laugh, I swear.)**

**The text you will find A.J. reading in a little bit is actually a passage from one of my college history textbooks, so I claim no ownership of that stuff. I would tell you who does, but I forgot the publisher, and you probably don't care anyway. So on with the good stuff!**

It didn't take much persuasion to get Master Splinter to give Raf his own room. After Sasha had gotten her clothing back on, the red-masked turtle had gone directly to his father, looking guilty, because he was sure Splinter had heard the commotion outside and could guess the reasons behind his son's request. However, he received no strict tongue-lashing, nor was he grilled like a prisoner under interrogation. Instead, Splinter looked from him to Sasha's hopeful face in the doorway, unknown to Raphael as his back was turned to her. Her large, pale eyes were wide with anticipation. It was an expression he had never seen before on her face, and it made him chuckle inwardly. Kids.

"I see no reason why you should not have your own room, Raphael. It's always nice to have your own space, as I'm sure your brother Leonardo can tell you."

At these words, both teens blushed heavily, but Master Splinter didn't call them on it. Instead he smiled gently, and looked up at Sasha again, who caught his eyes this time. Her own widened, and she vanished quickly when she realized he had seen her. Splinter turned back to his son.

"Of course you may have your own room. Get your brothers to help you clean out the final storage room."

"_Yes!_ I mean, thank you, _sensei_."

Before he left the room, Master Splinter's voice stopped him.

"Why don't you ask Sasha to help you as well? Give her something to do."

Raf's cheeks turned as red as his mask, and he muttered, "Sure thing, Master," and quickly left the room in an embarrassed rush.

* * *

In no time at all, the turtles and Sasha had moved all of Raf's belongings from the room he had shared with Mikey and Donny to the back storage room that was on the other side of the bathroom, across from Leo's. A.J. kept offering to help, but Leo insisted that she not exert herself because of her foot. So she went and grabbed Raf's _Ghost Rider _comics, and proceeded to transport them to his new room.

"What?" she asked innocently when confronted by Leo in the hallway. "I'm not exerting myself. They're _comic books._"

He shook his head, took the books from her hands, and sent her to his room. She obeyed, but stalked off in a pout. Leo handed the comic books over to Raf, who had seen the exchange.

"I think she's been hanging around you too much," he said.

"Hey, even your girl don't like to be bossed around, bro," said Raf, turning back to his room.

"You've got a point there," he agreed, and then followed him.

When they had finished, Leo and Mikey left to take A.J. home, and Donny went back downstairs, either to watch TV or work in his lab, leaving Raf and Sasha alone to cuddle side by side in his bed and get to know each other a little bit more.

* * *

"'Franklin D. Roosevelt defeated Republican nominee Thomas E. Dewey, the governor of New York, to win an unprecedented fourth term in 1944. But FDR did not live to see the Allied victory. He succumbed to a stroke on April 12, 1945. To his successor, Harry S. Truman, fell one of the most momentous decisions ever confronted by an American president'…blah, blah, blah…'whether or not to use the atomic bomb against Japan.' _Boooorrrrriiiinnngggg_."

A.J. looked up from her history textbook with a yawn. The clock on the microwave read 5:18, and a bag of Chinese take-out sat on the table in front of her. The smell of the food was making her stomach growl, but she didn't want to touch anything until the guys had gotten some first. She didn't mind letting them have first dibs, and then taking whatever they hadn't grabbed. She wasn't very fond of Chinese, but it was cheap, and came in pretty large portions. Plus, it was food. Any excuse to not eat with her family back home.

The sounds of bare feet slapping the brick made her turn to see Sasha coming down the stairs. Her short hair was rumpled and sticking out at odd angles, her eyelids still looked heavy from sleep, and she yawned widely as she hit the landing. She was wearing the jacket A.J. had given her and another pair of beat up jeans, of which she only owned two.

"'Sup?" she grumbled as she slouched past her and into the kitchen, where she rummaged around in the fridge until she came out with a carton of orange juice, pouring the last of its contents into a glass. "What 'cha doin' there?" she asked, coming to lean over her so she could see the book on the table.

"Homework," replied the other girl. "Reading for American history. World War II."

"Sounds fascinatin'. Is that for me?"

She indicated to the take-out bag.

"No. Well, I mean, some of it is, but most of it is for the guys. You know how much they eat."

"Yeah? You ever notice how much _I_ eat, 'specially now that Raf's trainin' me?" She flopped down in another chair, grabbed a carton and opened it, and began scarfing down the contents using the chopsticks it had come with.

"Hey, that's…oh well." She had contemplated trying to stop the hungry thief, but then decided against it. The boys could get mad at her themselves when they discovered her eating their breakfast. Instead, she changed the subject. "Yes, what has Raf been teaching you?"

"Mostly beginnin' moves of that nin…ninja stuff they do," she answered with her mouth full.

"Ninjitsu?"

"Yeah that. Self-defense, basic attacks, stuff like that."

"Oh. Why would he do that?"

The darker girl shrugged.

"No clue. He says it's for my own good, though."

A.J.'s dark brown eyebrows furrowed.

"Since when did Raf say a thing like that? Usually, we're the ones telling _him _that." She shrugged, and suppressed a giggle. "Maybe it's because he's never seen anyone worse than himself. Either that, or he's got something up his shell."

The carton of Chinese came down on the table.

"What did you say?" Sasha growled, icy eyes flashing. Her lazy, carefree manner was suddenly gone, and A.J. realized she had just pushed a button. Which one though, she didn't know.

"I said…wait, what did I say?"

"Quit playin' stupid. You know damn well what 'cha said."

"Did you honestly think I was insulting you when I said you were worse than Raf?"

Her answer was a curt nod. She rolled her green eyes.

"Oh for Heaven's sake, Sasha. I wasn't trying to insult you. I was simply trying to point out the fact that you're so violent and out of control you make Raf look like Leo. It wasn't directed at you personally, so don't get so sensitive."

"Hey! I ain't sensitive!"

"So what, then? You can't handle the truth?"

"You're the one who can't handle the truth, you…" she caught herself just in time, remembering well what had happened the last time she had called A.J. a bitch. That purple-wearing nerd had smacked her so hard she was amazed her head hadn't done a 360 degree turn on her shoulders. Sure, the guys were all asleep right now, but there was nothing stopping A.J. from telling later, and Sasha was not too eager for a rematch, or a repeat. "You got no clue what the real world is like, preachin' at me from down here in your cozy home with your friends and people who care about 'cha! I'll tell ya, I've been fightin' my way through life since I was thirteen, so don't you tell me about the truth, 'cause I've seen it! I've seen it and I've been there! Don't talk about things you don't know shit about!"

Even in the heat of battle, A.J. couldn't help but notice the amount of cursing in her language. Whatever Raf was doing to her in that dojo was helping. Around two months ago, she could hardly get a few sentences out without making everyone want to tie her down and cover her mouth with duct tape. Now, it was possible to have a halfway decent conversation with her, decent meaning it took about twice as long for her to get offended by something someone accidentally said.

Also, she hadn't gone to fists yet, which was a significant improvement. How much longer that would hold out though, she wasn't sure.

"Oh, you are so wrong there, Devil. You know nothing about what I've seen or what my life has been like, so why don't you stop assuming things, and stop accusing me of things that you know nothing about."

Sasha's eyes narrowed to mere slits.

"Ya wanna back that up?"

"I think you're the one who doesn't know what you're talking about," she said firmly. She knew Sasha had no idea about her past, so she couldn't really blame her for assuming that she'd had a normal life, but her patience was wearing thin. Her problem was not her lack of knowledge, but her inability to think before she spoke, and she was always lunging into an argument without listening or understanding the other side first. Her constant jumping to the Isle of Conclusions was really wearing on the redhead's nerves, and A.J. considered herself a very patient person. Sooner or later, her big mouth was going to get her into more trouble than she could get herself out of.

"I know damn well what I'm talkin' about!" She jumped up from her seat so fast she knocked the chair over, the sound of wood hitting the brick floor ringing a harsh duet with her voice. "I been though more than you ever have, or could ever imagine! Tell me,_ A.J. Lewis_, you ever killed a man?"

_That's it; she asked for it,_ A.J. thought, closing her eyes. She didn't like to talk about it, but it was high time someone put things into perspective for this so-called Underground fighting champ. Her eyes snapped open, blazing fierce and intense. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I have."

Sasha folded her arms across her chest and cocked her hip to the left.

"You? I don't believe ya. You ain't got the guts to stomp a cockroach!"

"They never covered his death in the newspapers. The Orphan Train got enough press coverage as it was."

She had spoken the magic words. When the men responsible for the Orphan Train stood trial months ago, there was hardly a citizen in New York city who didn't know the details, either by following the newspapers or on television, and there was hardly a citizen who wasn't moved or disgusted by their actions. Sasha herself could remember seeing a few reports about it when the Underground played the news on their TV's. She remembered seeing the story in the final verdict, when the two men were convicted and sentenced to death. It had been a rather slow night, and she had been sitting bored at the bar with a beer and staring at the TV with a disinterested frown when the reporter began announcing that the two men whose mug shots were now on the screen had been found guilty of five charges of first-degree murder, eighteen charges of willful kidnapping and containment, eighteen charges of battery and sexual assault, and one charge of attempted murder, the sheer number of their crimes enough to send them both to Death Row. She could vaguely remember two men sitting a little ways away from her, and one of them muttering, "Disgustin'."

"Good riddance, I say," the other had said, and they clacked their beer bottles together. Sasha, though most of the emotion had been beaten out of her, had still been infuriated as the report continued, describing in detail the extent of their crimes, as well as a few video clips from the court case that had taken place earlier that day. The same feeling, as though her guts had suddenly turned to stone and were dragging her down, returned as A.J. pulled down her shirt to reveal the two round scars on her shoulder. Sasha had seen them before once or twice, but had never asked. She had been too busy worrying about her own situation.

"Gunshot wounds," A.J. said. "I was bleeding to death in the back of an alleyway when the turtles found me. I would have died if they hadn't come when they did. Words can't even come close to describing the horrors I suffered those three months I was imprisoned. Rape, torture, starvation, all of it, and I was powerless to stop it. But of course, _you_ wouldn't know _anything_ about being powerless, would you?"

Her eyes narrowed, and she regarded Sasha coldly as she folded her hands in front of her, resting her forearms on the table. Sasha's stomach jerked up into her chest, then flip-flopped over. She had never been taken advantage of, not in this sense. Maybe for hard labor and cruel laughs when she was in the Underground, but never anything like this. She had always been too strong for that

"S-Shit," she stammered. "If I'da known…I never woulda…fuck, I didn't mean…"

"But you do it anyway," A.J. interrupted. "You always put people down because you think that your harsh life in the Underground has made you stronger than them. Strength isn't always physical, Sasha. I don't know what you've been through, nor do I doubt that it has been hard. But don't you dare accuse me of being weak, or that I don't know, because I've been though things that would make you sick to your stomach! You have no idea what it's like, do you, to have people use your pain for their own benefit, simply because they like it. Do you?"

Sasha had been staring at the floor while A.J. was speaking, and she shook her head at the question. If you thought about it, _she_ had been the one hurting others for her own benefit: becoming the top of the heap in the Underground. But now she saw what kind of effect people like her had on people like A.J., and, now that she was face-to-face with it, she didn't like it at all. How could have she gone through five years of her life blind to all the pain around her, because she was too focused on her own?

All of a sudden, her title was nothing to be proud of anymore.

"So, who did ya kill?" she asked, breaking the frigid silence between them.

"I never knew his name," A.J. answered, her voice level. "He's still only a face to me, though it's fading fast. I'm sure I won't even be able to remember in a few months. Out of the four men that assaulted me, he was sort of the leader, because they all did what he told them to do, and out of the four, he was the worst. His finger was the one that pulled the trigger and gave me these." She pointed to her shoulder. "He tormented me so much, more than the others, beating me, calling me names, insulting me. He hurt me in every way you can imagine, and probably in some ways you can't. He still haunts my nightmares some nights. I hoped never to see him again after I recovered…but I did.

"They must have realized that I survived somehow, probably because my body never turned up on the news, and one night, while I was coming home from work, they caught me and kidnapped me again."

Sasha couldn't have moved even if she wanted to. A.J.'s story seemed to have frozen her solid, and she was hanging onto her every word, either in horror or fascination, she couldn't tell which.

"Luckily, I got on the phone long enough to tell the boys I was in trouble, and they managed to find me before anything happened. And, somehow, I just snapped. I don't remember exactly what happened, but I remember picking up the gun that he had dropped when the turtles arrived, hearing gunshots, and the next thing I knew, he was choking to death on his blood."

Another silence followed these words. Sasha was afraid to ask her to continue her story, because she wasn't sure if that was the end, or if the little redhead was just trying to come up with a way to finish it out. Either way, she was walking on eggshells around her, afraid to say anything because it might make her lash out again. She now understood the common conception that redheads had a fearful temper, and while A.J. was not easily set off, when she was, it was not a pretty sight. It must have been something she and Leo had in common. Sasha thought back to that night when she had tried to beat her up, and now she understood why A.J. had been so scared when the fists had started flying. Guilt made her stomach sink into her body again, and she wondered just how much farther it would handle before it dragged her all the way to the floor.

"We decided it would be for the best if only myself and the turtles knew who had really killed him, and when it came time for the court case, he was never mentioned. I told the police he had been killed by a mysterious warrior clan in black. They were never mentioned, either."

Sasha waited a moment before she finally spoke words she had not said in a long time. In the last five years, she had lived life by her own means, making her own way, working for what she wanted and then taking it, regretting nothing and apologizing to no one. But that was then, and this was now, and now, things had to change. It might be hard, and the words may have felt odd in her mouth, but she had to say them, if she hoped to get along in her new environment.

"I…I'm sorry, A.J. I shouldn'ta said those things I did. I…I shoulda known…"

At first, a confused frown wrinkled the redhead's brow, and then it was replaced with a very kind smile.

"You are forgiven. And how could you know? No one ever said anything to you. We all thought it was none of your business."

"I know, but…"

She had no idea what she was about to say, and her stumbling made A.J. giggle. Because laughter, no matter what kind, is infectious, Sasha had to smile herself.

"I suppose we're all to blame in this. Still, no harm done! Why don't we put it all behind us now?"

"Yeah. I'd kinda like to be friends, if that's okay with you."

Those bright green eyes stared at her, and she seemed to be caught off guard for a moment, then she broke into that kind smile again and said, "You're just full of surprises, aren't you? Of course, I would love to be friends!"

_I can see why Raf likes her,_ she thought in the small, but awkward silence that followed. She knew they fought all the time, but she was not blind, nor was she stupid. She saw the look in her adopted brother's eyes every time they fell on the mysterious ragamuffin he had dragged into their home. She didn't know what had happened between them in the Underground, but she knew there had to be a reason he had brought her down here, risking all of their safety as well as Sasha's, because now the whole city was looking for her. She hadn't mentioned this to Leo whenever he went off on one of his rants about the dangers she posed to their family, but aside from the rashness and failure to think clearly, there was another reason behind his actions, only one emotion that made you lose your head and risk everything.

Love.

Raf was in love.

_And I can really see why. She's a tough girl, and she keeps you on your toes. She's unpredictable; you never know what she'll do. I think he likes that in a girl. _

The question was though, did she return those feelings? That was what A.J. could not answer.

"So what about you and Leo?"

Sasha's voice broke her thoughts, and she looked up from her history textbook, which she had been staring at idly.

"What about us?"

"Just…how did you two end up together?"

A deep blush rose into her cheeks, and she lowered her eyelids and smiled.

"That's a long story, I guess. But I was so fortunate to find him. He saved my life, and then helped me live it."

Her eyes took on a dreamy look as she rose from her seat, and limped to the fridge to grab a carton of milk and a glass. A fresh pang of guilt stabbed at Sasha's heart as she observed the bandage on her foot, and how she hobbled on it when she walked. The wound was taking a long time to heal, because it had been a very deep one, and it was on the bottom of her foot, where it was under the most stress. Sasha raised her eyes when it disappeared out of her line of sight, underneath the table.

"And do you two, like…do stuff?"

God, she felt like such a clueless little girl asking her mother about the birds and the bees. Still, she needed to know. Maybe this other girl could tell her something else about dating these strange brothers.

A.J.'s dark brown eyebrows knitted together and something between a confused smile and a confused frown twisted her mouth, a bizarre look on her face.

"'Do stuff"? What kind of stuff do you mean? Like, go on dates or something like that?"

"Well…yeah, but more than that. You know…"

She waved her arms in disoriented circles in front of her. Her tongue felt stiff and wouldn't respond, and her neck burned as she knew she must look really stupid. But A.J. understood.

"Ah. Have sex?" she filled in.

"Yeah!" Sasha burst out, pointing her finger across the table. "That's it!"

The smaller girl smiled at her sudden change in behavior, and then Sasha understood how she had bewitched Leo so. It probably wasn't the only thing, but she was willing to bet a large part of it was her smile.

"Yes."

"I…oh." Her face became serious. She had sort of been hoping for that reaction, because it would work to her benefit, but she was still surprised to hear it. She couldn't imagine sweet, innocent little A.J. indulging in such an activity, but then again, there were a lot of things she couldn't see sweet, innocent little A.J. doing, like pulling the trigger of a gun. "Is it any different from havin' sex with a normal person?"

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she mentally kicked herself. What kind of sick, cruel question was that? She had been a victim of the Orphan Train, for Pete's sake! Her experiences with sex had been the most God-awful thing Sasha had ever seen, and could have imagined.

But who knows? Maybe she'd had encounters with other boys beforehand.

"Yes, it is."

"What?" she asked eagerly, as she grabbed her chair, set it upright and sat down on it. She was ready to hang onto her every word, ready to hear her explain how sex with a giant mutated turtle differed from sex with a normal human being, aside from the obvious physical differences. Was it any better? Or was it worse? Because sex with Raf was pretty darn good; she didn't know if she could survive any better, or if she could stand any worse.

"Leo's touch doesn't bring me any pain," said the redhead, and Sasha's face fell. Of course. How could she have been so stupid? "He doesn't hurt me, or make fun of me for his own pleasure. He thinks of me as much as himself, and we love each other, which makes all the difference. If I say stop, then he does, and he respects that. He's the only person I've had sex with willingly, and even though it took a while, he waited for me, until I was ready. But surely you know about sex, too. I mean, the Underground…"

She stopped when she saw Sasha shaking her head.

"You're a virgin? You?"

She stared in shock as the darker girl nodded, smiling sheepishly.

"Yeah. Well, I mean, I _was_."

"What do you mean, you _were_?" Then her eyes widened as realization began to dawn on her. "You didn't. No way! You and Raf?"

She nodded again, still smiling. Her cheeks were getting hotter and hotter, and she knew she was blushing.

"Ohhhhhhhh!" A.J. cooed, and Sasha's blush deepened. Why was she making such a big deal about this? "What happened?"

"Eh, I don't really remember, honestly," she replied, rubbing the back of her head. "I mean, we were fightin' about somethin'; I can't remember what, and then he was all over me, and I fell on the floor, losin' my clothes somehow, and then I felt like I was explodin', and then were just…layin' there. Wet…really wet."

A.J. was speechless for a moment, and just sat there, blinking her eyes and staring, and then she managed to say, "Wow."

"Yeh, pretty much. And it hurt. A lot…but then it felt really good." She looked up, and her gray eyes looked so lost. "I dunno if that makes any sense, but…"

She smiled that kind smile again, and a hopeful light opened in Sasha's chest.

"Sorry, but no. By the time Leo got to me, all the pain had been used out of me. You got to experience it all in one go."

She hung her head again, and said, "Well, I guess you gotta have the pain before the pleasure no matter what, huh?"

_So she isn't just all fists and angry words,_ A.J. thought, all but stunned. So there was a brain in her head, and a heart in her chest.

"I'm just a little scared that he might be usin' me. I mean, that's really all I heard about guys. All they want from us is…"

"Raf's not that kind of turtle," A.J. interrupted. "My guess is that what he feels for you is something more than just physical, otherwise I don't think he would have risked so much for you."

_So much so that I think he's even forgotten about me,_ she thought happily. _At last, a girl has come along who will make a better girlfriend to him than I could ever hope to be._

"Maybe you should talk to him; ask him how he feels. I mean, I know Raf's not much of a talker, but…"

"Yeah, he's more about the action," Sasha put in, and A.J. giggled.

"He is, but I'm sure he'd tell you if you asked. I suppose you could do it now, although I don't know…" she craned her head to try and see up to the second level, but being short, it did no good. "I don't think he's awake yet, but it wouldn't hurt to go in and check."

"Yeah, I think I'll do that."

She got up and headed for the stairs. She got two steps, and then A.J.'s voice stopped her.

"Hey Sasha?"

"Yeah?"

"Is that where you were last night? I noticed there wasn't a blanket on the couch."

"Uhhh, heh heh…"

And the guilty child gets caught with her hand in the cookie jar. A.J. just smiled and lowered her eyes, showing Sasha that she was just teasing, and didn't need her to answer, but she didn't leave right away.

"A.J.," she said, and the redhead looked up. "Thanks."

She smiled that pretty smile of hers, her lips pulled back to flash only a little of her white teeth beneath them.

"No problem."

She nodded, then headed up the stairs. As she turned the corner and disappeared, A.J. grabbed the carton of Chinese she had left behind, finally deciding to give into her hunger. Grabbing a fresh pair of chopsticks, she gave up on her history homework and sat down on the couch, deciding she'd see if anything good was on television before the boys got up.

_She's not all that bad,_ she thought as she searched out the remote. _Heck, she's all right. Maybe Raf was right after all. She's just a little girl who needs some help, that's all. And that stubborn turtle did say he'd do anything that needed to be done to set her straight. Guess he really meant _anything. She smiled. _Oh well. It's working, that's all I can say._

Smirking, she found the remote and flipped the TV on.

"Oh, why does Donny always have the news on?" she grumbled to herself, looking down at the remote for the button that changed the channel, but the report that was currently on made her look up, and stop chewing her mouthful of fried rice.

"The mystery of the murder of businessman Brendon Rothwell is believed to be coming closer to be solved. Authorities say they cannot be sure as of yet, but right now, it is believed that the lead suspect is none other than the escaped convict Sasha Marie LeQuinn."

A.J. lowered the carton and turned up the volume so she could hear better. She had forgotten all about the food in her mouth, though her cheek was still puffed out.

"LeQuinn, eighteen, escaped mysteriously from her cell about two months ago. Considered by many the best fighter in the operation known as the New York City Underground, police say she is a dangerous criminal and a threat to anyone who crosses her path. Rothwell, aside from his prospering oil company, was also one of the patrons of the Underground, one of those who paid off the winners of the fights. Forensics teams found a log in his house, detailing everyone he had paid, the date, and the amount of money. The last entry in the log was, of course, LeQuinn. Also present at the crime scene were several hairs belonging to LeQuinn, and the weapon was determined to be a small knife, possibly a pocket knife or even a switchblade, something a teenager could easily get their hands on. Authorities believe the killing may have been an act of revenge, because Rothwell was known to cheat people out of their winnings, and that may have been one of the reasons for her escape. Searches for LeQuinn have failed to turn anything up, and it is believed that she may have fled the city after committing the murder. At the current moment, there is not further evidence to support this theory, and police urge anyone who may have information to please step forward."

The report ended, but A.J. continued to stare at the television, eyes wide, mouth still full, though the food had long turned to a liquefied mash. Then, as the anchors began talking about the latest news in the sports division, she jerked back to her senses, swallowed quickly and painfully, then fled from her spot on the sofa and up the stairs with a terrified cry.

"Leo!"

* * *

Sasha knocked softly on Raf's door, then entered when she didn't get an answer.

She found him sound asleep in his bed, lying on his back with the blanket around his waist, snoring gently. She smiled as she approached him, and trailed the back of her hand down the side of his face, brushing her fingers across his cheek. She couldn't believe how different he looked without his mask. Maybe it was because he had the red one, but he looked less fierce, and so peaceful.

Maybe it was because he was asleep, but somehow, he looked so much less likely to knock someone's teeth in, namely hers.

She ran her hand down his neck and over his chest and shoulder, feeling the tight, corded muscle beneath his skin. Of all his brothers, he was the biggest, with broader shoulders and a deeper chest, and with his tough-guy way of speaking, he could be rather frightening at times. But Sasha had always been attracted to danger; look at the way she lived, so maybe that was why she had fallen for him as hard as she had.

_Jesus Christ,_ she thought as she continued to trace her fingers along the skin at the edge of his plastron. _Who in all holy hell would've thought I'd lose my virginity to a _turtle?_ I'm sure this is illegal somewhere._

But had she ever given a damn about legality? Hell no. Raf made her feel things she had never felt before, and legal or not, she didn't care. He made her feel good, and that was good enough for her. Damn the rules.

But, as she and A.J. had been talking about not five minutes ago, did he love her? And did she love him? That was the real question. She knew she lusted after him: there was no doubt of that. She loved to have his hands roam unrestrained over her body, the feel of him inside her, the grind of his flesh against hers, but actually love him? Truly love him, the way a heroine loves a hero, a princess loves her prince, a wife loves her husband?

Oh God.

She liked him well enough, it was true. He was the only one brave enough, and strong enough, to keep her in line, and so far he was the only person to beat her in a fight in about three years. His sarcastic sense of humor could make her laugh, and his body made hers beg for contact, to be entwined together in love's greatest embrace.

She'd had crushes in elementary and middle school, but since she had run away from home, feelings of love, any sort of love, had been lying long asleep inside her, packed in by such a block of ice than no one and nothing had been able to melt it. She knew nothing of love; it was strange and unknown feeling to her, and she probably wouldn't know it if it hit her over the head and knocked her over backwards.

And which was supposed to come first: love or lust? Did you start out by wanting the other person, and that was what made you go up and get to know them, thereby falling in love with them? Or did you fall in love with them first, and then want to have sex with them?

Confused, and maybe troubled as well, she knew she would have to talk to somebody if she wanted to make any sense of it all, and the turtles were all out of the question. Though they were decent to her now that she had cleaned up her act a little, she knew none of Raf's brothers liked her very much, and Mikey was downright afraid of her. Leo might be able to tell her something, seeing how he had experience in the matter, but she knew he wouldn't speak to her. A friendship with A.J. was beginning to form, but the answers Sasha sought could not come from a heart so young.

There was only one option left, and it was probably her best one. Though he was a giant old rat, she knew Master Splinter had been human once, and a full-grown man before he was mutated. Maybe he would know something, or at least be able to help her make some sense of what was going on inside her. And, since he rose earlier than his sons, she knew he would probably be awake now, and she could consult him while it was still fresh on her mind. The talk with Raf would have to wait.

Bending down, she gave him a kiss in the corner of his sleeping mouth, then rose and began to cross the room, heading for the door.

In order for her problem to make sense, she knew she was going to have to tell Master Splinter everything, including that she had slept with his son. She wasn't sure how he would react to this news; she knew he disapproved of her. But what had happened had happened, whether he liked it or not, and he would just have to deal with it. They were teenagers; what could he say?

Well, he could say a lot, like throwing her back out onto the streets and letting her face the authorities on her own. She owed them a great deal, because they were sheltering her, sharing their home and secret with her, even though they knew she was dangerous. They ran a great risk keeping her down here, and there were several occasions where she had abused that privilege and taken advantage of their kindness. She would have to mention that she was deeply indebted to them, and that if there was anything she could do for them, they need only ask.

She had almost reached the door when a pair of strong arms grabbed her from behind and pulled her to the chest they were connected to. For a moment, she panicked, her instincts screaming at her that she was being attacked, and to struggle and get away, but then a familiar voice grumbled sleepily above her, "Hey you. Where you goin'?"

His voice was a deep rumble in his chest right behind her ear, and the heat began to coil deep in her abdomen. His hands greedily caressed her body, and he sighed heavily in his need. She felt his lips kiss her ear, and then her neck as she tilted her head to the side.

Permission granted, his hands gripped her jacket and pulled it down off her shoulders, the sleeves turning inside out as her hands came free. With only her wife-beater on underneath, he had easy access to her bare skin. How she had lived eighteen years without his touch she could not even begin to fathom. He was something far stronger than she was, in so many ways, and he brought all her walls crashing to the ground, making her feel weak and helpless and perfectly willing to roll over and show her belly in complete and total surrender.

She let out a small gasp when he bit her, lightly nipping the skin between his teeth.

"Ya like that?" he asked, and she bobbed her head in response, her lips and tongue unable to form words. He did it again, harder this time, and she made a soft noise to encourage him on. He bit down hard into the flesh where her neck and shoulder connected, dragging his teeth across her skin.

Sasha couldn't stop herself. She let out a high, shivering moan.

That was it for Raf. He grabbed the bottom of her tank top and pulled upwards, tearing it off her head. He was a little clumsy with the clasps of her bra as she scrambled with her jeans and belt, but her bare breasts beneath his hands was well worth it. She whirled around to face him, and they kissed, making the world seem to spin around them. Her long fingers stroked him, trailing down his body, and he groaned, lust and desire rising. Every nerve in him came alive at her touch, igniting a fire he could not control, and he swept her up in his arms as she kicked her feet out of her jeans. Her legs locked around his back as well as they could, because she wasn't very big, and her arms wrapped around his neck, though she had full confidence he wouldn't drop her, and she felt herself flying backwards, only a couple of feet before he slammed her into the wall so hard he knocked the wind out of her. So what if he was a little rough? She could take hits, and she was loving every millisecond of it.

"You're…_mine!_" he growled into her ear, sending shivers all through her body, making her shudder against him. Oh, how good it felt to be wanted! To know that it was you and you alone, and that you were his, and his alone.

Sasha let out a shriek when he pushed into her. He hurt her again, but it wasn't so bad this time, and she was more than ready.

"Oh yeah, Raf!" she yelled, digging her fingers into his shoulders as she lost herself to the waves of pleasure that engulfed her, his movement quickly erasing the pain. "_Take me!_"

**Jeez, how many times does Sasha need to get told before she realizes what a little bitch she is? XD I really liked delving into her character in this chapter, though. It was really kinda cool to get inside her head and find out what she thinks of the situation.**

**A couple people have requested that I put a lemon in my story, so that last scene is for OkamiiRin and a couple others. I really don't want to be too graphic, as much as I'd like to, simply because I don't want to scar anyone's mind, and I don't want my stories turning into smut-fests. I might go into a little more detail in the next story, but that's still hanging in the back of my mind, so we'll see how that goes, and what the audience wants or suggests, I guess. **

**Hope you enjoyed what you read, leave a review, and for those of you who spotted the "Oh shit!" moment, good for you.**


	13. Chapter 13: Believe Me

**Again, sorry for the long absence, guys. I meant to get this done over the summer, but I was just so busy with my friends moving in, work, and summer classes. I'm glad to finally get this off my chest, and there's only a few more chapters left! Major thanks to everyone still reading: your patience is appreciated! **

**This chapter is dedicated to Obe1ne, who gave me my 60th review on The Orphan Train and my 65th review on The Tasmanian Devil! Thanks so much for your kind words!**

When Donny came down the stairs, he found no one there, but a bag of Chinese food was on the table, and a textbook that he recognized as A.J.'s next to it, so he inferred she was around here somewhere. The television was also on, and he knew for a fact it had been off when he went to bed that morning. Deciding she was probably in Leo's room, he shrugged, grabbed a carton and chopsticks, and sat down in front of the TV.

"Hey A.J.," he said when she and Leo appeared fifteen minutes later. "Here's something you'll be glad to know; the guys from the Orphan Train were executed last night."

"Oh, really?" She closed her eyes and let out a sigh, and a peaceful look passed over her face as she sat down in one of the chairs. "I'd forgotten all about them. Yeah, that _is_ good news."

"I know," said Donny with a grin, leaning over the back of the couch so he could look at her. His eyes switched to his brother, and his grin vanished. The blue-masked turtle had a very stern look on his face, his mouth set in a hard line, his eyes narrowed and his arms crossed over his chest.

"What's the matter, Leo?" he asked. He looked over at A.J., whose face had changed from relief to sadness. "What's going on?"

"Go wake Mikey up," Leo said to him. "There is something very grave we must discuss.

* * *

Sasha's legs were shaking so badly that her knees buckled when Raf set her down, and she grabbed onto him to keep from falling over.

"You all right?" he asked, catching his arms around her.

"Yeah," she panted. "Just gimme a sec. I need to catch my breath, that's all. I'll be fine."

He scooped her up in his arms and carried her over to the bed. She flopped down onto her back, wiping the sweat off her hairline. She whistled as she let the air out of her lungs, and Raf smirked.

"Enjoy yourself?"

"I keep askin' ya: you're _sure_ you've never done this before?"

"And I keep tellin' ya, no. Never in my life, 'cept for you. I had a girlfriend once before, a while ago, but I never did this with her. Must be you."

"Huh, yeah right. Me; that's a laugh."

The sarcasm in her voice was unmistakable.

"Don't underestimate yourself," he said, stretching out to lay beside her. "Some of us find ya pretty enjoyable."

Her face flushed dark red, and a shy smile curled her lips as she lowered her eyelids and looked down.

"Well, if ya say so, then I guess I ain't in a position to argue."

"No, you ain't," he said, putting an arm over to her and bending over so their lips met, and then their tongues brushed against each other. Sasha took the moment to savor the gentle kiss, something they had never shared. Perhaps there was a gentle side to him, a tenderness she did not yet know, and would have to remind herself to become better acquainted with.

When they broke, she drew in her breath and said, "C'mon, let's go. A.J.'s brought us food."

"Yeah. I thought I tasted Chinese on your tongue," he replied. She winked up at him and he rolled over so she could retrieve her clothes and he could tie his mask on.

In a minute, she had the jeans and sweater thrown on and he was chasing her out of his room and down the stairs, giggling like only two young people in love could.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs however, their fun was cut short immediately, as they came face to face with Leo, A.J., Donny and Mikey, all standing in a line with their arms crossed and disapproving looks on their faces. As soon as Leo's eyes fell on Sasha, his hand flew to the sword strapped to his back, and her laughter died immediately. His eyes narrowed, and Raf saw the muscles in his jaw bulge as his teeth clenched behind his tightly pressed lips. Donny and Mikey didn't quite go into a fighting stance, but they looked ready for action should they be needed, and Donny moved slightly to his left, so he could throw his arm out to protect A.J. if he had to.

"What's goin' on here, guys?" asked Raf, his eyeridges drawing together in confusion. "What's with the long faces?"

"Stand aside, Raf," said Leo. "That girl is dangerous!"

"Huh?" He turned his head to Sasha, whose pale eyes looked just as confused as he did. "Well, we knew that, Leo," he said, trying to make light of the mood. "Ya sorta reminded me the first night she was here."

"This is no time for jokes, Raf, now I mean it; step away from her!"

Instead, Raf put his arm in front of her. His eyes locked with Leo's, and his eyeridges knotted together this time.

"No really, what's goin' on here, Leo?" he asked.

But when Leo spoke, he wasn't addressing his brother, but the girl behind him.

"We trusted you!" he growled. "We opened our home to you, gave you a place to stay, and sheltered you from the law, despite the factors against you. And this is how you thank us? By betraying our trust and lying straight to us?"

"What?" she cried. "What're ya talkin' about?"

"Oh, I think you know well what I'm talking about," said Leo coldly. "Tell me, Devil, does it haunt you, knowing that you've murdered someone?"

He drew his sword as he spoke those last words, causing all the muscles in Raf and Sasha's bodies to tense up, and they both prepared themselves for an attack.

"What?" Sasha yelled.

"Murder?" Raf yelled, gaping at his brother in complete shock.

"I ain't killed nobody!" she shouted over Raf's elbow.

"Yeah!" Raf agreed. "C'mon Leo, ain't that a bit much? I mean, we know she's a fighter, but killin' someone?"

"Look, I know what I saw!" A.J. chimed in, trying to take a step forward but both Leo and Donny stopped her, Donny with his arm and Leo with his sword.

"Saw what?" Sasha shot back.

"Yeah guys," Raf put in. "Give her a chance to explain herself."

But A.J. didn't let her.

"The report I saw on TV says that the lead suspect in the murder of that businessman, Brendon Rothwell, is you!"

She pointed an accusing finger at Sasha, whose eyes flashed.

"So, ya believe everythin' ya see on TV, do ya?" Raf snapped, and for a moment, A.J. didn't know what to say. But then she tried a different tack.

"And what about our conversation earlier?" she asked Sasha. "You asked me if I had ever killed a man. You wouldn't have said that if you hadn't done the same thing, would you?"

"I was tryin' to put 'cha down," Sasha grumbled. "I didn't know ya actually _had._ And since ya mention that, what's the deal with me anyway? She's killed somebody, and ya aren't makin' a big deal outta _that,_ are ya?"

"That man deserved to die!" Leo broke in, lowering his sword in front of him. "And you leave her out of this! The safety of this family is my responsibility, and I will see it done!"

This time, Raf pushed her directly behind him, so that she was protected by the safety of his shell and plastron.

"I can't let 'cha do that, Leo," he said firmly.

"I don't even know who the fool is! Ya gotta believe me; I'm innocent!" Sasha was protesting. They couldn't see her anymore, but they could hear her loud and clear, and Raf felt her hands on his shell. _I don't wanna believe it, Sash,_ he thought. _I wanna believe you're innocent._

"Stand aside, Raf," said Leo as brother faced brother. Raf remained steadfast. Leo's eyes narrowed down to frightening slits. "I won't ask you again."

This time it was Raf's turn for his eyes to narrow.

"Sorry, Leo," he said. "But you'll have to get through me if ya wanna rough up on her."

He had no weapons, but he was willing to take on his greater-skilled brother without them, if it meant defending his girl. He knew full well she didn't stand a chance against him, even with the new techniques he had taught her.

"Raf," said Leo calmly, though they could tell his patience was wearing thin. "I don't want to fight you. This has nothing to do with you, so please don't waste your time. Just because you've spent a couple of nights together does not mean she's clear of all blame."

This last comment stung whether Leo had meant it to or not, and Raf bared his teeth.

"I thought it was our duty to defend the innocent," he snarled.

"When innocence is _present_," Leo replied. "You would do well, Raphael, to learn to distinguish between the two, and to not allow your personal feelings to sway your decisions."

"Strong talk for someone who don't follow his own teachin's," hissed Raf menacingly, his eyes flicking to the small redhead by his brother's side. Leo registered the glance, and his eyes widened for just a moment as he realized his mistake.

"I said, leave her out of this!" he shouted in an attempt to cover up his error, but at that moment, the pounding of wood against brick cut their argument short.

"Leonardo! Raphael! What is the matter here?" Master Splinter asked sharply, standing in the doorway to his rooms, all his fur bristling.

"Master Splinter!" the room echoed, and everyone bowed in respect, even Sasha this time. The old rat made his way towards his quarreling children.

"Explain yourselves," he told them, and Leo, as usual, was the first to speak.

"Master, that girl there is a murderer!" he cried, pointing a finger at Sasha, who was still hiding behind Raf save for her head, peering around his bicep.

"No, she ain't!" Raf shot back. "Master, Leo ain't givin' her a chance to talk!"

"What chance does she need?" Donny cut in. "We have all the evidence we need right in front of us!"

"Shut up, geek!" Raf yelled at him. "No one asked ya!"

"I have just as much right to voice an opinion as the rest of you!" Donny cried indignantly. "The safety of this family is my concern as much as it is yours!"

"Your safety ain't in any danger!" Sasha spoke up. "But mine is! He's tryin' to kill me!"

She pointed at Leo, who attempted to protest, but Splinter drowned him out.

"Be quiet! Silence! Leonardo, sheath your weapon immediately!" he snapped, and Leo obeyed. "Now, in a civilized manner, start from the very beginning."

They all looked at each other for a moment, trying to remember what had come first. It had all happened rather fast for the entire family.

"I guess the very beginning would have to be the news report A.J. gave me," said Leo.

"'Course, it's always gotta start with _you,_" Raf grumbled, and Master Splinter chided him.

"Raphael," he warned, then turned to A.J. "Abigail, if you would be so kind?"

"The local news reported the death of some businessman; Brendon Rothwell was his name," A.J. began. "They said the main suspect they have right now is Sasha, because they found some of her hair and a payment log with her name in it on the crime scene. As soon as I heard the report I went straight to Leo."

"And then he jumps up thinkin' that Sasha's down here to kill us all!"

"Raphael, please!" cried Master Splinter in exasperation. Sometimes, he felt like his boys were still five or six years old. "I think I can infer what happened afterwards." He turned to Sasha. "Is any of this true?"

"No!" she said immediately.

"The evidence mounted against you is quite incriminating, Miss LeQuinn," he said firmly, fixing her with his bright eyes. "I will ask you again, and this time I expect you to be completely honest with us. _Did you take that man's life?_"

"No, I swear to ya," Sasha repeated. She pushed Raf aside, and took a step forward, so that she and the old rat were only a foot apart. "I know I ain't the nicest of girls, but I never killed nobody. Never."

Silence followed this speech. Master Splinter narrowed his eyes and stared hard at her before he spoke, and she matched his gaze. Years in the Underground had trained her to keep a man's gaze and hold it. This time, however, she was not trying to stare him down, make him back off or scare him away. This time, she was hoping, praying, that he would find it in his heart to take pity on her and not turn her over to the authorities.

"Very well," he said at last, after several tense minutes, and Sasha's shoulders slumped as she let out a sigh. "You are innocent until proven guilty. If you say you did not kill him, then I believe you. But I fear you may have a harder time convincing my sons."

Raf stepped up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"I believe her," he said, and Master Splinter smiled warmly.

"Your unwavering loyalty is truly your most admirable quality, Raphael," he said, then turned to the other three turtles. "I trust you boys will do all in your power to crack this case. If Sasha is not this man's killer, you must find out who is, in order to save her name. Do you understand me?"

They all nodded, perhaps a little grudgingly, and he turned back to Sasha.

"You are safe here, my child. If anyone is looking for you, they will not find you here."

"Thanks," she said, then cast a wary eye in Leo's direction. "If he stops wavin' the swords around."

Splinter looked sharply at Leo, who placed a hand on his chest, saying, "You have my word." He didn't sound too happy about it, but at least he had done it. Satisfied, Splinter bowed his head to them, then headed back to his rooms.

"I shall meditate on this matter," he told them. "I would encourage the rest of you to do the same. We will all need clear minds for the times ahead."

"Master Splinter's right," said Leo once he was gone from view. "We should all do as he says, if we're to make any progress."

"You're right, Leo," Donny agreed, but his brown eyes looked thoughtful. "There's just one question I have before we do. What was that payment log you mentioned, A.J.?"

"Probably some way to keep track of all the people he had paid, how much, and when. He was involved with the Underground, and the report said he was one of the guys who paid off the winners of the fights. Sasha's name was the last one in there, and they think she might have killed him because he cheated her out of some money."

"Awful nice of them to give me so much credit," Sasha growled.

"What do you mean, Sasha?" asked A.J.

"Mosta the bubs in the Underground ain't smart enough to tell when they're bein' cheated; that's why these rich bozos get away with as much as they do. See, how much ya get for a fight depends on how ya fought, who ya are, the other person; it's a whole complicated thing, and that's why they got these math nerds to do it. But you know how it is: the more money ya have, the more ya want, and so they got stingy with their bucks. But if the dumb fucks in the Underground were smart enough to figure out exactly how much they were owed, they wouldn't be poundin' each other into the floor for money."

"But you are smart enough, if you knew that much," Leo observed.

She shrugged.

"Eh, it's mostly bits and pieces that I picked up over the years, listenin' in on conversations and stuff. Plus, what am I gonna do? I can't exactly challenge 'em; they're the ones who pay me. The way I see it, as long as I get somethin' outta it, who cares? I couldn't give a damn if what they wrote in those ledger books was true or fake…"

She cut off suddenly, the blood draining out of her face, turning it from its rich caramel to the color of dried desert mud. Her pale eyes widened so much they gave the illusion of almost bulging out of their sockets, and her lips parted just enough to reveal the ends of her teeth.

"Fake…hang on," she breathed. "Hold up one flippin' minute!"

"What's the matter, Sash?" Raf asked, eyes showing confusion and concern at the same time. "You okay?"

"No, I ain't," she said, sounding dazed.

When she didn't say anything more, A.J. asked, "What's going on, Sasha?" The other girl didn't answer, and she turned to her boyfriend. "Leo?"

"Don't look at me; I don't know." He took a step towards Sasha and bent over slightly so he could look into her eyes. "Sasha? Anything you know that could help us would be great."

"They weren't allowed to keep logs," Sasha replied after a moment. "At least not physical ones; it was all on computer. It was how they avoided detection from the cops." She looked around at them in horror as the realization of what was really happening dawned on them all. "That log they found was a plant. Holy shit, I been set up!"

* * *

_"I'm really glad she decided to keep me," she said. They were sitting on the rooftop of her apartment complex, staring at the neighboring buildings around them, quiet and dark in contrast with the rest of the city, whose sounds they could still hear clearly._

_"Huh?" he grunted in reply. He hadn't really been paying attention, his mind being focused elsewhere, probably thinking of something to say to her. He was no good at talking to others, and really, this was the first human girl he had ever seen more than twice, much less spoken to on a personal level outside of rescues, and he was still gruff and awkward around her. He hadn't heard exactly what she'd said, but his brain had registered her voice, and that she had made some sort of statement. Everything else, he didn't know, especially if what she had said was important or not._

_She rolled her strange eyes, but answered, "My mom. I'm glad she decided not to abort me."_

_"Why wouldn't she? She's your mom, ain't she?"_

_"Well yeah, but not all moms decide to keep their kids. Some get abortions."_

_"Why?"_

_She shrugged. "Can't afford to keep em', don't want their families disownin' 'em…there's all sorta reasons."_

_Raf couldn't imagine why any woman would want to kill a child of hers. He knew it happened; he watched television, but it was still hard for him to grasp. If he was a girl and he got pregnant, he'd want to keep the child regardless of how it had come around. Splinter had taught them that all life was precious, and that someone had to be past all hope in order to deserve death. An unborn child surely wasn't at that point. _

_"Seems to me the kid ain't the one that did anythin' wrong," he muttered. "Why should it have to die?"_

_"That's exactly what Mom thought. That's why she wanted to keep me, in hopes that somethin' good could come of somethin' bad."_

_"And ya think she got what she wanted?"_

_"I'd hope so. Me and my mom get along really well, so if she hates me, she hides it well." She gave a half hopeful smile at this._

_"Your mom don't hate 'cha. You're all she's got; she's got no reason to hate 'cha."_

_She looked at the building across from them for a minute, taking in the patterns in the brick in great detail._

_"I never thought about it that way before," she said. "So you save the world and you're really smart. Is there anything you can't do?"_

_He chuckled low in the back of his throat._

_"Naw, I ain't that smart. That's my brother Donny; he's the brains of us."_

_"Well, you're smarter than me, that's for sure."_

_They were silent for a time, staring off into the city. They both looked up at the stars, and Raf wondered if Leo was looking at these same stars from wherever he was. _

_"You know what's weird?" said Rachel at last._

_"What?"_

_"I've seen you more than three times now, so I guess that makes us friends, but I don't know anything about you."_

_"There ain't much to know. I'm the Nightwatcher; I protect this city. And I told ya about my brothers."_

_"Well yeah, but other than that, I know nothing about you. I don't even know your real name."_

_He turned to her, and she stared at her reflection in the glass of his helmet._

_"What makes ya think I've got a real name? How do ya know this ain't who I really am?"_

_She scoffed playfully at him. _

_"I thought you said you liked comic books. Don't 'cha know that all superheroes have some sort of alter ego, a face they have by day…and a mask to hide it? But I've never seen that face."_

_He sighed, caught in between two difficult choices. She seemed like a very open girl, and he wanted badly to show his face to a human and not send her running and screaming, but he was afraid that if he did take off his helmet for her, he would never see her again. And the last thing he wanted to do was frighten her away, not now that she was just within his grasp. It was a tough dilemma, and he had never been good at problem-solving. That was Leo and Donny._

_"My real name's Raphael," he said at last, turning to stare at his feet, stretched out in front of him. "But everybody calls me Raf. As for my face, well, I can't show ya."_

_"Why not? Are ya like a secret agent and no one can know who ya really are?"_

_"Nah, nothin' like that," he said with a hint of amusement in his voice. "I just don't wanna make ya scream."_

_She frowned at him, but he couldn't tell if she was just confused by what he meant or if she didn't believe him at all._

_"Then are ya deformed or somethin'?"_

No, I'm perfectly formed for a mutated turtle, _he thought with a definite bitterness._ Dunno if my not being _human_ fits into the deformed category or not.

_"Yeah, you could say that," he grumbled instead. _

_"I won't scream," she said after a pause. _

_"Ya will," he said, still not looking at her. "I can promise ya you've never seen anythin' like me."_

_"How can you be so sure of that? You don't know what I've seen."_

_This time, he did turn to her, and saw that her face looked pale and nervous, as though all this talk of his "deformity" was making her apprehensive. She flinched slightly, a movement that would have gone past a normal human's eyes, but was picked up by his. This was exactly what he had wanted to avoid. She was afraid already._

_"Trust me," he said, hardly sure of what he was doing or why as he reached out to touch a gloved hand to her cheek. "Ya don't wanna see this." He withdrew and gestured to his head. "Or what's underneath it, anyway."_

_He turned back to his feet, but her hands settled on either side of his helmet and turned it back to her. _

_"Then this is the Nightwatcher," she said. It took him a moment to realize that she was referring to what she was seeing: the front of his head. He nodded. Yes, that was the face of the Nightwatcher. "So who's Raphael?"_

_"He…" He touched her forearm with his fingertips, and then she drew them back into her lap. "He's someone else."_

_He rose, not liking the direction the conversation had taken, and wanting to just get out of there. He started to walk towards the edge of the building, and had actually reached it before her voice stopped him._

_"Wait, hang on. My mom and I are moving in with her new boyfriend, so we won't be here anymore. He lives in one of those really nice condos over there." She pointed to the big, white building that was several blocks away, but still obnoxiously visible. It had gone up a few years before, and it had been one of those big renovation projects the government had put up to try and get the rich, white population to move back downtown. It looked very out of place. "I don't know what floor, but I'll have a balcony and…I'll wait for you."_

_"I'll look for ya," he answered, then dropped out of her sight. He hit the ground, and though he was still unhappy from the bulk of their conversation, his feet seemed a little lighter with her parting words, because they meant that, in spite of all that had been said tonight, she still wanted to see him. That in itself was reason enough to go back._

**So, who do you believe? Is Sasha innocent, or is she guilty? Tell me what you think!**


	14. Chapter 14: A Deal with the Devil

**So, a nice long chapter for everyone anxiously awaiting the truth! I'm quite happy I got this out so quickly, though I really thought I would have this story finished before the month is out. Oh well! It's better than what my progress has been lately! So, I guess I'll set my deadline for Thanksgiving; hopefully I'll have it finished before then. Again, thanks to everyone still reading, and I hope this chapter is everything you hoped it would be and more!**

"Do you really believe she's innocent, Leo?"

"I don't know what to believe, Don. In this world, anything's possible. But Master Splinter seems to think so, and that information she gave us about the fake payment log certainly looks fishy, but that could be an attempt to cover her tail. That is the one advantage she has against us; she knows the Underground far better than we do."

"However, if she is, in fact guiltless, that could work to our advantage."

"Very true."

Leo had given them all one hour to meditate, and when it was over, called the boys to the kitchen to lay out their plans. As he and Donny came down the stairs, they found A.J. sitting on the couch. The television had been switched off, and at the sound of their voices, she opened her eyes.

"Hey boys," she said, getting up as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Sweetheart, would you mind making us some tea? Thanks," Leo said as she went to the stove to fill the kettle with water and put it on. Raf and Sasha appeared a few moments later, followed shortly by a nervous-looking Mikey. They gathered around the table, and Leo leaned against it, pressing his knuckles down onto the surface.

"I would like to start by apologizing to Raf and Sasha for my behavior earlier. I should not have acted so rashly, and not in such a violent manner. But understand that down here, our family is all we have, and any threat to them and their safety is of my immediate concern."

She nodded.

"'S okay," she said. "Whatever. I'm over it."

Raf nudged her with his elbow and muttered, "You're s'pposed to say, 'You're forgiven'."

She gave him a confused look, but turned back to Leo and grumbled the words her boyfriend had instructed her to.

"I hope you two used your time to meditate and think about the situation instead of something else," said Leo, giving her a dark look.

She glared back at him.

"Oh yeah, Grand Ninja Master. We were up there havin' a good, solid _fuck_, 'cause it may be the last time we get to!"

It was clear they were still steamed about their interactions earlier that evening.

Leo's eyeridges raised in shock and he looked over his shoulder at A.J., who was facing the stove, but had her head turned over to him. Everyone else was staring at him as well, waiting to see his reaction to that comment. He decided to let it go. He had spent too long getting his emotions under control to let a crude remark like that throw him off again. Master Splinter had given him an assignment, and he owed it to him, A.J., his brothers, and Raf especially to see it through. He knew Sasha meant a lot to Raf, so proving her innocence would mean the world to him. And, if Sasha was telling the truth, then he owed it to her as well.

And to satisfy his own curiosity, and be able to convince himself of her guilt or innocence. He was usually so sure of things, but this time, he didn't know what to think. Something in the back of his mind was telling him that things were not what they seemed, but in what way, he couldn't tell. He fancied himself with having a keen insight, but sometimes, things weren't always strictly in black and white, and when they had more than three shades of gray in them, it began to get confusing even for him.

So, rather than get mad at her, he let her comment slide, and looked around at his brothers as A.J. set two mugs of steaming tea on the table, one for him and one for Donny.

"Well, we're not going to get anything accomplished just sitting around down here," he began, and A.J. returned with mugs for Raf and Sasha. Raf thanked her by ruffling her hair, and she scooted away, fixing it. She then joined the table with one for Mikey and one for herself, and Leo continued.

"The only way we're going to prove Sasha's innocence is if we go out and find the evidence ourselves, and the only way we can do that is if we go to the root of this whole problem."

"What's that, Leo?" asked Mikey, taking a sip of his tea, and then yelping as he burnt his tongue.

"Not 'what', Mikey, but 'where'," Leo corrected. "We head to the scene of the crime ourselves."

"Leo, it's been weeks since Rothwell was murdered. The forensics teams have already been over there again and again. There won't be anything left for us to look at," Donny put in.

"Good point Don, but there's bound to be something in there that can give us a clue as to what's really going on here. Whoever set Sasha up obviously did it for a reason, but we'll never know who it is or why until we start looking, and we have to start somewhere. I'm willing to bet there may be something in his office that will help us, like people he worked with, especially concerning the Underground. It's possible that this was a politically related murder, and that you took the blame because you had 'escaped' from prison. However, it's just as possible that this killing was an act of revenge, either against him, or against you."

Sasha arched her thin eyebrows.

"Me? Someone's tryin' to get back at me?"

"At this point, we're open to any theories. We won't know anything for sure until we gather some evidence. Anything that could lead us in the right direction. Do you know of anyone who might have had a grudge against you?"

She rolled her pale eyes.

"Hmmmm, maybe I can think of a few people, like the entire Underground for example? You stupid or somethin'? I'm the Tasmanian Devil. Everyone I beaten in a fight's gonna have some kinda grudge against me."

"Right. I didn't think of that. So at this point, it could be anyone." He turned to his brother. "Don, can you get us into his office building?"

The brains of their operation grinned widely.

"Only as always. Just give me ten minutes on the computer."

* * *

"Hackin' into the system of a high-security buildin' and this is the best ya can do?" grumbled Raf as he, his brothers and Sasha squirmed along the narrow passage of the air-conditioning, using their elbows to pull themselves forward as they crawled on their stomachs.

"You know what?" Donny snapped back. "This is the safest way. We're least likely to run into trouble, and practically invisible to any detection device like video cameras or lasers."

"But not exactly the kindest to our muscles," said Leo, sounding none too happy himself. "It's a good thing these corporate buildings have such large ventilation systems. We probably wouldn't be able to do this if they didn't."

"Oh, stop whining," Donny scolded. "It was your idea to come out to this dump anyway, even after I told you that there wouldn't be anything left for us to find."

"Awww, you boys uncomfortable?" teased Sasha, who's small stature and skinny frame allowed her to move with ample space on all sides.

"Shaddup," Raf growled. "The only thing that's makin' this bearable is the view I got back here."

Sasha twisted her head around, knowing full well what he was talking about as he was right behind her in the line.

"Keep it to the bedroom, you two," Leo scolded.

"Ah, if A.J. was in front of ya, ya know you'd be starin', Leo!" Raf shot back.

"Guys keep it down! For ninjas, you're not being very discreet," said Donny, and the group fell silent, remembering that they were inside and had to keep the noise level down. Even though the building was likely to be empty this late at night, they still ran the risk of being heard by late night employees.

"Should be right around that corner to your left, Leo," said Donny to his brother, who was in the front, followed by Donny himself, Mikey, Sasha, and then Raf. Leo turned into a passage in the direction his brother had pointed out. Donny had downloaded the designs for the ventilation system onto a small, handheld computer he had built himself, and was using that to guide them through the dusty corridors to Brendon Rothwell's office. "Here we are."

They had reached the vent that would lead into their destination. Leo dug his fingers into the slits, relieved when the grate lifted easily out of place, and he slid it off to the side. One by one, they dropped into the darkened room and dusted themselves off as Leo found the light switch and flipped it on.

"All right, guys. Start looking."

"Would kinda help if we knew what we were lookin' _for_," Sasha pointed out as she opened the drawers in his desk.

"Anything," Leo answered her. "Anything that could help us find an answer." He joined Donny and Mikey in rummaging through the many drawers of the massive file cabinets on the wall by the door. "What is in all these, anyway?" he asked, thumbing through the yellow manila folders.

"Expense records, probably. Oil purchases, sales, tax returns, you name it," said Donny. "If there's anything detailing where his money was going, we'll probably find it here."

"But Sasha said they weren't allowed to keep any physical records of the Underground," Leo pointed out.

"I know, but here we could get names of people he did business with, find out who he was involved with. If this was an act of revenge against him, it would have been done by someone who knew him. If it wasn't, then we'll at least have eliminated one theory."

They returned to shuffling through papers, then after a moment, Leo froze.

"Did you guys hear that?"

They all looked at him, stopping what they were doing.

"Hear what?" asked Sasha, and Leo shushed her. Then they heard it as well: footsteps and voices.

"His office is right over here, Chief Carter."

"Yes, I know. I've had to search this place several times."

Two men were in the building, one of them a police officer, and they were both headed for them.

"_Shit!_" hissed Sasha, and everyone scrambled to close drawers and put files back. Once that was done, the turtles jumped back up into the vent, Raf grabbing Sasha's hand and pulling her up after him. Leo put the grate back into place just as the lock turned and the door swung open. They realized that in their hurry, they had forgotten to turn the light back off, but the two men didn't seem to notice.

"I can assure you, Carter, you'll have the Devil in your custody in no time," said one of the men. "As soon as she learns she's been framed, she'll come rushing forward to prove her innocence, and then you'll have her."

"You'd better be right, Swaine. Every day that goes by where I don't hear from her brings me closer and closer to arresting you instead. You did, after all, have him killed."

They heard the sound of a drawer being opened, and Sasha pressed her face to the vent so she could try and get a look at them.

"No way!" she whispered. "That's Jay Swaine, my old employer! He was the guy who ran that drug pushin' operation I worked for."

"No kiddin'?"

"Raf, quiet! You want them to hear us?"

Sasha waved her hand to shut them both up. The man called Swaine was speaking.

"The man was stealing very large amounts of money from me, as this file here will show you," he was saying, and they heard him pull something from the drawer.

"Then why didn't you just report it to the police, like any normal citizen would have?"

"Because I am not a normal citizen, Carter!" snapped the other man, sounding like he was getting very impatient. There was a pause, and then he spoke again, in a somewhat calmer tone. "Besides, if I had, there would be no reason for us to have this little deal, now would there?"

"You had better hope your part of the deal holds up," replied the Chief. "I have tried everything to track the Devil down since she escaped, and this is my last line. After this, I'll have to face up to this city and admit everything, that this was all a setup, and that we've failed to capture her. And that's when everything will go to Hell."

"As if it hasn't already," Swaine sniffed. "This damn city may as well _be_ Hell, for all we know. Here." Sasha saw him hand a folder over to Carter. "There's to prove my point."

He didn't sound too happy about it. They left the office in tense silence, flipping the light off and locking the door behind them. The turtles let out their breaths, Raf's brushing the back of Sasha's neck and making her shiver despite her utter shock. She was lying on her stomach beneath him, and he was half lying down, half supporting himself with his hands on either side of her.

"I…I don't believe it," she said after a moment. "He killed that guy, and then framed me for it, just to get me to walk into a trap?"

"And so he can get away with murder," said Donny.

"And he had to drag the cops in on it!" Raf growled. His entire frame was trembling with rage. "Those dirty, slimy cowards!" His hands clawed the vent, as though his fingers actually had nails to tear through the metal beneath him.

Leo looked at Sasha, his chocolate eyes wide.

"Sasha," he breathed, and she turned to him, her pale eyes eerily catching the light from the slits in the vent. Even though the switch was off, there was still one emergency light on in the room. "I've severely misjudged you. Can you ever forgive me?"

She twisted her mouth around and rolled her eyes upwards, making her face appear even more demonlike.

"Mmmmm, sure," she said after thinking about it for a minute. "You were just thinkin' of your fam, after all." She looked back down at the vent, even though the room below was empty. One corner of her mouth turned up, and her eyes were gleaming.

"Ya gotta plan, Sash?" Raf asked, reading her face, and she twisted her body around to look at him.

"Kinda. I'm sorta makin' it up as I go, but I'm onto somethin'."

"What is it?" asked Leo. For once, he was glad not to have to be the one to plan their next course of action.

"We're gonna play their little game they've got goin' here. We're gonna give 'em exactly what they want."

"Which is…?"

"Me."

They all frowned at her, and her half-smile turned into a smirk. She swept her eyes around the four of them.

"Anybody got any change?"

* * *

Thomas Grang downed the last dregs of his coffee, not wanting to be here at all. Working the graveyard shift of the NYPD Chief of Police department had never been his career of choice. But he had dropped out of school to work full-time when he had gotten his girlfriend, now unhappily married wife, pregnant with their first child. Seven years and three children later, here he was, beat down and miserable as any man on the street should be.

When the phone rang, he had no idea that what he would hear on the other end of the line would jar him awake more than any cup of coffee he had ever had in his entire lifetime, and would be the only high point in his miserable career.

He picked up the receiver, expecting another routine emergency call, or contact from some governmental position. But the words spoken by the voice on the other end of the line immediately drove any such thoughts from his mind, and snapped him to attention.

"Chief Carter's office," he said in a bored voice

"I have who you're lookin' for," said the receiver.

"Excuse me?" he asked, wondering if he was in one of those thriller movies, except the serial killer had gotten the wrong number. He knew for a fact that he himself was not looking for anyone in particular. He paused for a moment to imagine how hilarious it would be if that actually happened, then the voice commanded his attention again.

"The Tasmanian Devil. I have her with me right now."

Suddenly, Thomas was wide awake, his hatred of his boring job forgotten.

"Who is this?" he asked. "Do you want to speak with Chief Carter?"

"If ya want her, you'll do exactly what I tell ya. Put a trace on this call, and tell Carter to meet me where it leads ya. Don't call for backup, ya won't need it, as long ya cooperate. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. As long as ya do what I say, we can all go home with what we want."

"I'm assuming you're holding her hostage," said Thomas, is heart pounding and cold sweat running down his back. "What do you want as ransom?"

There was a slight pause, and he assumed the caller was thinking it over. But all it said when it spoke again was, "I'd get that trace goin' if I was you. My offer expires in fifteen minutes…startin' now."

"Wait, who is this? How do we know to trust you?" Thomas yelled into the receiver, but the line had already gone dead. He flung it back into its cradle in frustration, but he was also unsure of whether he should believe the mysterious voice and carry out its demands, or dismiss it as a prank caller and think nothing more of it. The second option was just as favorable as the first, but if he was indeed in a real situation, then the minutes were ticking away. Fifteen minutes was not a lot of time, and the location of the call could be anywhere. And, if this was real, then one chance the NYPD might have to get the Devil into custody would be bungled by him. He couldn't let this opportunity slide. This was perhaps their only chance to take LeQuinn off the streets forever, and if he did nothing, he would be blamed for losing her. If it was indeed a prank call, well, sure he'd be laughed at, but he could live with that. He had more to lose if he did nothing than if he did something. So, his mind made up, he raced from his desk through the door behind him.

"Chief Carter! We have a situation!"

* * *

"Sasha, what you're planning is suicide!" Leo said sternly as Sasha hung up the pay phone she had used to contact the police station. "You can't trust that these cops will do what you ask of them; they've already proven their integrity. Once they take you into custody, you're completely at their mercy."

"I know," she said, her face grave. "But I got no other choice. It's the only way I'm ever gonna get my name cleared. I don't trust these bozos any more than you do, so I'm gonna play their little game, but I'm changin' the rules. From this point on, I'm callin' the shots, and I'm the one in control." Though she was pale, she tried to smile. "Just leave all the talkin' to me. The cops are never gonna even see ya."

"What do ya want us to do?" asked Raf, grimly. He didn't like her plan, but he had to be mature, and understand that this was what she wanted to do, and to appreciate that she wanted to leave her old life behind and begin another one.

"We gotta hurry. They'll be here soon."

The pay phone they were standing beside was actually on a darkened street not far from the police station. By now they probably had located it and were already on their way.

"Fifteen minutes isn't a lot of time, Sasha," Leo reminded her. "Not enough for them to perform a trace, find us, and then get here."

"I know," she answered him. "But how else was I supposed to create some urgency in there? We ain't got all night."

Leo rolled his eyes, and so did Donny, and Raf smirked.

"What do you have in mind?" asked the blue-masked turtle.

* * *

Chief Carter was a middle-aged, balding man with thinning patience as well as hair as the years progressed. He had been Chief of Police now for almost twenty-seven years, and was looking forward to retirement with each passing month. He'd had some stressful cases in his day, but the case of the New York City Underground was the worst yet, and had become an even bigger story than the Orphan Train. Over the past two months or so, he has lost twice as much hair as he had in two years, trying to figure out who was involved, who was innocent and who was guilty, and then they had lost the Tasmanian Devil. Carter had considered just letting her go, after all, she was just a kid, but the stories that were coming out of the mouths of the other prisoners, who were probably already exaggerating, were reaching the ears of the press, who would exaggerate more, making her out to be a cold, psychopathic little punk with no sense and no mercy, who would pound anybody into the ground for just looking at her wrong. The news that she was on the loose would soon drive the people into a panic, and soon, they would be crying out for her blood. If he didn't put her away within the next few weeks, someone was going to do something stupid, people could riot and go on a manhunt, and innocent people could be killed. So it had become top priority to make sure the Devil was behind bars again, yet all their efforts had accounted to nothing. The girl had vanished from the city as mysteriously has she had from her cell, as though her entire being was as ghostly as her eyes. In desperation, he'd turned to the one resource he had left, a supremely wealthy businessman named Jay Swaine. To tell the truth, he didn't know much about the man. In fact, he had been nothing more than a voice over a couple of phone calls. He knew at least that he was the CEO of a steel company that his grandfather had started, and he had passed on to his son, and then to his son. He had promised Carter the Tasmanian Devil in return for a complete write-off. In other words, let him get away with murder. Carter had been desperate, after searches had turned up nothing. At this point, anything he could do to get the Devil behind bars again was something worth trying, no matter what the cost or how it happened. He had been skeptical, and hadn't believed him at first, but he had the knowledge that Swaine had had someone killed, and enough evidence to get both him and the assassin put away for life, maybe even Death Row. He would get the Devil, she would go to Death Row for murder, the city would sleep a little safer, and Swaine would have his killing and get off scott-free while an innocent girl died for his crime. It was corrupt, but it was one life over everyone else's, and he had a duty to protect the people of the city.

And now, things were taking a turn for the better. He might have to do some bargaining with the person who was holding her hostage, probably some bounty hunter, but anything, _anything_ to get this mess cleared up.

Fifteen minutes had passed since Thomas had informed him that someone had captured the Devil and was willing to give her up for a price. They had traced the call, and were now racing to the spot. It was still a few minutes away, and Carter was getting very edgy. He swore when he looked at the clock.

"Damnit! Our time's up!"

"You want me to turn around, Chief?" asked the young officer who was driving the patrol car.

"NO!" Carter ordered. "For God's sake, keep going! Maybe we can convince him to just hear us out!"

A few minutes later, several patrol cars and at least twice as many police officers pulled up to the street corner where the trace had lead them. Despite the caller's instructions, Carter wasn't taking any chances, and had called for backup anyway. All the floodlights pointed at the skinny figure standing next to the phone booth. Her back had been turned towards them and she was looking upwards at the roof of a building, but at the sound of the sirens and the cars, she turned around and held up her arm to shield her eyes from the bright light. Still, they recognized the dark skin and pale eyes of none other than Sasha LeQuinn, the very person they were looking for.

"Freeze! Put your hands on your head!" Carter ordered, and the girl obeyed. "Spread out! Search the area! Find whoever it is that's holding her hostage!"

"Oh, that won't be necessary, Chief," said the Devil. "No one's holdin' me hostage. That was me on the phone, tellin' ya that someone had the Tasmanian Devil and was willin' to work somethin' out. Figured it'd be more realistic than just callin' ya up and sayin' it was me. Thought ya'd be more likely to believe a kidnapper."

Carter stared at her, and held up a hand to stop his officers. This was getting better and better.

"So, you're basically turning yourself in," he said, and motioned to the two officers nearest him. "Then you're going to come with us. You're under arrest for the murder of Brendon Rothwell."

"Ah, I wouldn't do that if I were you," she warned, taking a step back. Her head remained towards Carter, but her eyes flicked over to the two officers. The look in them was icy and dangerous, and they froze, one of them with his hands on the handcuffs at his belt.

"You're outnumbered, LeQuinn," said Carter. "You can't fight your way out of this one. I dunno what little game you think you're playing here, but let me tell you right now that it's over. You've been running around on the streets for too long."

He nodded to his officers, and they started forward again.

Something flashed in the light as it went whizzing between the officers' heads and then buried itself in the roof of the car. As Chief Carter turned to inspect the object, the officer on the left turned to his partner. The object had come very close to his head, and now as he looked, his eyes widened, and he pointed a shaking finger at his partner's face.

"Mack, you're bleedin'."

"Huh?"

The dark-haired man put his hand up to his face, looking confused. When his fingers came away, he saw that they were indeed tipped with blood. Not much, but enough to get their attention. Then his cheek began to sting as Chief Carter shined his flashlight on the roof of the car and they saw an object they all recognized but had never seen in real life: a four-pointed throwing star, straight out of a ninja movie.

After the initial shock of seeing the weapon, Carter pointed the flashlight upwards, along with his gun. The rest of the officers copied him.

"Who's up there?" he shouted as all the floodlights pointed up to the top of the building behind Sasha, but they saw nothing. "Who threw this?"

"I ain't alone, Sherriff," said Sasha, and all the lights returned to her. She squinted. "So if ya wanna risk your life as well as the lives of your men, by all means, arrest me."

No one moved, and she smirked.

"Right, thought so."

"What's with all this?" asked Carter sternly.

"I know ya set me up," replied the girl, in a voice that meant _business._ There was no messing around now. "I know you're workin' with Jay Swaine, and that 'cha framed me for a crime he committed." She took her hands down from her head, and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. There was a ripple as the men tightened their grips on their guns. Her cold eyes registered the movement, and she swallowed, though no one caught it. She was standing in front of a bunch of guns; a bunch of guns being held in the hands of nervous men. They could go off at any moment, whether by accident or on purpose, and then it would be lights out for her. She'd have to be careful not to make any sudden movements, because she could startle someone into pulling their trigger, and then it wouldn't matter who believed she was innocent or not.

"If information like that got out, it could ruin your career," she continued. "As well as stunt the rep of the entire NYPD." She arched her thin eyebrows. "Ya followin' me?"

"You wouldn't win in a court of law," said Carter. "You have no proof."

"Don't matter. The statement alone'd be enough to make the citizens of this town distrust ya. And if the people can't trust their police, who're they gonna turn to? It'd be a perfect opportunity for rabble-rousers to step forward with stories about your dishonesty, don't matter if they're true or not. Then, when people start to panic, crime rates go sky high. See where I'm goin' wit this? I'm standin' behind a massive set of dominos, and the one that's gonna knock 'em all over is right in front of me. If I want to, I can flick it, and watch this whole city fall apart. Now ya followin' me?"

"N-no one would believe you," Carter gulped. Though it was chilly out on these early spring nights, sweat was beading under his hat and in his collar. "You're just a criminal."

"But I ain't the only one who knows," she reminded him. "I told ya, I ain't alone." She swept her eyes over them again, and though it was hard to see because of the lights, she knew her plan was working. Of course, there was only a small chance that what she had just described would actually happen, but it was the fear that it would that was the key element of her plan. As she had learned from five years of living on the streets, and three years as the Tasmanian Devil, fear could be a powerful ally when used effectively.

And fear had always worked to her advantage.

She shifted her weight again, and this time, the shudder was less profound.

"But perhaps I know a way we can prevent all this. Seein' that you're so good at makin' deals, I propose one of my own. I'll deliver the real killer of Brendon Rothwell into your hands, and I'll make it so it's impossible for him to get off. See, funny as fate would have it, I used to work for him way back, and I know that he's been doin' some major illegal stuff. So, ya can either fix this problem right now while ya still can and do your job and bring the real guilt to justice, or ya can admit you're a failure _and_ a corrupt liar. Your pick."

Carter thought for a moment. The things the Devil was saying were certainly true, and it would be helpful to have her on their side. If he followed her plan, it would save his reputation and allow him to retire in peace with some money to his name.

"What do you want?" he asked. Like every good cop, he knew that everything had its price.

"My freedom," she answered without hesitation. "I wanna be cleared of all charges against me, includin' my involvement with the Underground. I'm too young to go to jail for life, and I'm too young to die."

"Why should we just let you walk away? You are a wanted criminal, after all."

"Look at it this way. I ain't the one with blood on my hands. Don't 'cha think I'm the safer one to have on the streets?"

"She's got a point there, Chief," said Mack, the officer with the cut face. His partner nodded.

"She's just a kid. This city's got more to fear from those big shots like this one than from punks like her."

But one voice from the back yelled out, "Don't trust her, Chief! You can't trust any of these crooks, and she's no different!"

Several heads turned to look at the speaker, including Carter's, but Sasha didn't even bother. She looked down at the ground and folded her hands in front of her.

"See, now ya've hurt my feelin's. But I think my word's the one ya _should_ be trustin', seein' how I ain't the one that's done any lyin'."

She looked straight at Carter as she said this, fixing him with her cold stare. He tugged at his collar and swallowed, trying to put on a brave face. Her eyes were so strange.

"I want your word you'll never give me a reason to arrest you," he told her.

She nodded her head.

"Was already plannin' on it. And when it comes time to try Swaine, I don't wanna appear in court. If I'm needed as a witness, you'll get me on the phone."

That was reasonable. He'd need a contact number, but it could be done. A lot of people who were well known but highly disliked chose not to appear in person in the courtroom, in case there was someone who happened to smuggle in a weapon and made an assassination attempt.

"Done," said Carter, and Sasha nodded her head.

"Perfect. After this is over, you'll never see my face again, I promise ya that. So, Chief Carter, can ya make a deal with the Devil?"

She spat on her hand and held it out. Carter stared at it for a moment, nose turned up, but then he copied her, deciding to humor her.

"Looks like I may not have any other choice. Swaine's not gonna like me double crossing him," he said with a smile, and she smirked back.

"It's every man for himself in this world of ours," she told him. "Just think of it as havin' your best interest in mind."

"But as good citizens, we're taught to put the interests of others before our own."

He let go of her hand and wiped it on his pants. She shrugged and took a couple of steps back.

"Maybe, but I think that only applies to certain situations. But if it makes ya feel better, ya can say you're puttin' the interest of the people before your own. Or maybe Swaine's own, in this case. Majority rules, right?" Her smirk turned into a grin, and she spread her arms in front of her again. He had to nod. "Besides," she continued. "I ain't a good citizen. I'm just a criminal." Her mood dropped, and her tone became business-like again. "Down at the docks you'll find three delivery trucks, white with three red stripes on the side. It's always three, unless he's changed his policies in the last couple of years. Swaine always supervises the loadin' of a new shipment himself, so it'll be pretty damn easy to make an arrest. Ya'd think he'd have better things to do, but you'd be wrong."

"Shipment? What do you mean?"

"Just meet me over there, Chief. You'll see."

"Why don't you just come with us?" said Carter. "We'll need to take you into protective custody anyway."

"Oh, I bet ya do," said the Devil, slowly reaching her hand into her back pocket. "But I'm afraid our time here is up."

Quickly, she raised a clenched fist up into the air and brought it back down again. An enormous cloud of smoke exploded at her feet and enveloped them all, causing the officers to cough and wipe their eyes. It took several minutes for it to finally clear, and when it did, Sasha was gone. They all looked around in confusion, and Mack's partner looked at Carter.

"What do you want us to do, Chief? Should we try and find her?"

It took a moment for Carter to realize that he had been spoken to, and to respond.

"No," he said. "We go to the docks."

"But Chief," said another officer. "How can we trust that she's telling the truth?"

It was the same skeptical young man who had spoken out before. Carter didn't even look at him. Instead, he raised his eyes to the roof of the building in front of them.

"I guess we'll just find out when we get there."

**Chief Carter didn't turn out to be as cool as Jesse Stone, who was sort of my inspiration for the character, but I like him anyway. For anyone who doesn't know who Jesse Stone is, I'd definitely recommend the movies. I'm not really into those cop/thriller genres, but for his movies I make an exception. Carter was originally supposed to be a sheriff, but that sounded too West Coast, so I changed it. I'm not really sure what the hierarchy in the police system is anyway, so anyone who does know is most welcome to help me out on that. **

**This side of Sasha was really fun to work with, that sly, scheming, plotting side that just proves that she's actually very smart, despite the simple and unintelligent impression she tends to give off. Guess it's a sort of instinct: to do whatever the hell it takes to cover your ass. I was really surprised that she had this side to her, but I was really shocked how much I made her sound like the Joker. I swear that wasn't on purpose, especially because I didn't care for the Dark Knight particularly. But it still worked itself into my psyche somehow. **

**So anyway, hope you all enjoyed, and please review. They've been a bit slow lately, though the hits still keep going up. I really need to know how I'm doing; it's very important to me as a writer!**


	15. Chapter 15: Proof

**And so we come down to the end: the final chapter before the epilogue. Millions of apologies for the long absense, but there always seems to be other things to do. I just got back from a few days in Oregon visiting my girlfriend, and school starts next week, so that's fun. I'll be back in my dorm room, which is where I've got my handwritten copy of the epilogue, so I'll have that up for you soon, and then that will be the end of The Tasmanian Devil, and I can start working on the next installment of this trilogy! Oh boy! **

**So, enjoy the climax, and see you all soon!**

"Raf, that was far too close!" Leo scolded as his red-masked brother helped his girlfriend over the ledge of the building. She'd had some of Raf's smoke pellets in her pocket, and had thrown them all to the ground to create her vanishing act. When the smoke appeared, the turtles lowered the rope that Donny always carried with him in his duffle bag of odds and ends to get them through their missions. Now she was safely out of the clutches of the police, and they were ready to move on with the next phase of their plan. "I told you to throw it close enough to make them duck, not close enough to give them a shave!"

"Picky, picky," was Raf's response. He pulled her into a fierce hug, exclaiming as he did so, "Man, you were great down there, Sash! Those dudes still don't know what hit em!"

Releasing her, he peeked over the side, and saw the officers piling into their cars.

"Looks like they're headin' out to the docks, too."

"Then we better get over there," said Sasha. "C'mon. We ain't got a lotta time."

"No shell we don't!" snapped Leo "Let's move!"

The five raced over the rooftops towards the New York City port, Raf keeping a tight hold on Sasha's hand.

* * *

"Quickly, quickly!" yelled Jay Swaine to the men unloading the crates from the freight liner. The three big trucks that the crates would be loaded into were standing nearby, ready to receive their illegal cargo. He turned back to the representative in front of him. These Cuban dealers never came with their shipments; they always sent someone else to haggle out the final price for them. In other words, try and get as much money out of the buyer as possible.

The one he was talking to now would definitely be out of a job in the morning. He had seen some tough nuts in his time in the smuggling business, and he'd had a few hundred dollars more squeezed out of him as a result, but this guy practically disappeared in the shadows they'd left behind. He was small, smaller than Swaine himself, who barely scraped five feet ten inches, nervous and twitching, and sweating even in the chill breeze blowing off the ocean. He jumped every time Swaine spoke.

"You're three weeks late!" he barked. "Honestly, what makes you think I should pay full price if you can't even deliver it on time?"

The nervous man jumped again, and started to stutter something, but Swaine overrode him.

"I've always been generous with your boss, but you tell him that if this happens again, he best start looking for another buyer! And believe me, he'll have to look really hard to find another client like me! I'll give you sixty percent, which is more than fair, so just take it, and get out of here as soon as everything's loaded."

"Nope, don't think so!" a voice rang out, causing both Swaine and the timid representative to jump and look around.

"Who's that?" called Swaine. "Show yourself!"

"Ya've made your last deal, Jay Swaine!" yelled Sasha triumphantly, stepping out of the shadows of one of the trucks.

Swaine looked down his nose at the lanky teen.

"What do you think you're doing here, kid? Isn't it past your bedtime?"

Sasha raised her eyebrows.

"Don't remember me, huh? I used to work for ya, five years ago. The name Sasha LeQuinn; ringin' any bells?"

"The Tasmanian Devil!" he gasped with surprised and horror that was obviously faked. He turned to one of his workers. "Call the police!"

"They're already on their way," Sasha interrupted. "Seems they found a better client than you."

Swaine's dark eyes narrowed.

"Just what are you talking about?"

"It's over, bud," said Raf, stepping out of the shadows to drop a hand on Sasha's shoulder. Swaine's jaw hit the asphalt. Something flashed through the cell phone the worker was using to try and call the police, and the top half slid off. Leo appeared, swords drawn and teeth bared, eyes flashing dangerously.

"Call off your men, Swaine!" he shouted. "You're finished here!"

"Get him...it...them!" the busted drug pusher spluttered to the workers, who looked none too keen to go after the turtles, but knowing that their boss was paying them to follow his orders, obeyed. Mikey and Donny joined the fray, and Sasha ducked out, heading for Swaine, who was running towards his car, hellbent on an escape. She wasn't about to let that happen, not now that she had come all this way to prove to the Raf, the turtles, and to herself that she _could_ change, that she wasn't beyond redemption yet. Though Swaine had gotten a head start, she was younger and faster. She closed the gap between them in a few bounds, preventing him from getting more than a few yards from his original spot. Catching him in the middle of the back, all one hundred and fifteen pounds of her weight dragged him to the ground. She clenched her teeth against the pain as her knees scraped the concrete, and then her arm as she yanked it free from under his weight, rolling him over on his back. But, faster that she could keep up, he easily threw her off-balance and sent her rolling. She quickly got to her feet again, but even the adrenaline could not fully numb the aches in her body as she faced her opponent, who was crouching in a combat position very similar to one the turtles used, knees bent, body turned sideways, fists just below the face to allow visibility and protect the torso, but easily raised to deflect a blow to the head.

This guy was trained in some martial arts too. A man of his position would probably require it, as there would be all kinds of people who might want to have him killed, especially given the industries he was getting himself mixed into. This was a good thing for him, but a very bad one for Sasha. She only knew the basics, and still wasn't terribly good at them yet. She knew only defense strategies, which would only work for so long. A few minutes, maybe, and she would be finished.

But, what choice did she have? She couldn't let him get away, and she was so used to getting her ass kicked by Raf that she could probably handle it once more. However, it was likely that Swaine would not hesitate to kill her, and could do it very easily, if he was anything like the turtles.

And she was not ready to die. She was only just putting the pieces of her life back together, and she was only eighteen years old. An eighteen-year-old that couldn't keep her mouth shut and constantly bit off more than she could chew. This time, she had bitten off so much that she was going to choke.

The only thing she could think to do was let him beat her up long enough to get the turtles' attention. It wouldn't take them long to deal with all the idiots running around, and soon they would notice that she was getting smacked around and, being the honorable gentlemen they were, would jump to her rescue. Raf would be saving her ass for the umpteenth time, and her pride would suffer because of it, but it was better than dying. Anything was better than dying at this point.

And the police were on their way, too. That was another ray of hope she had.

She was amazed how fast her brain could work under pressure.

She would have to use some of the techniques she had learned in the Underground along with the basic ninjitsu she knew, and she would have to use them carefully, if she wanted to beat this guy, or at least make him realize that she wasn't some stupid girl looking for a fight. As she had learned in the ring, use their weaknesses against them, and be smart about it. He was expecting her to be a street fighter, so he was expecting some stupid attack on her part. So, she would give him one. Fight like she had been trained, and then when he thought he had the upper hand, pull out the ninja stuff and surprise him. He wouldn't be surprised for long, because he probably knew how to deal with that as well, but it might be long enough to give her an edge, and she needed all the help she could get right now.

She jumped towards him, bringing her fist back for a punch, and was not surprised when he caught her arm as she brought it forward, but instead of using a hand to deliver his hit, he brought his heel up and dug it into her jaw, knocking her violently into the ground. The pain in her temple where she landed was enough to bring tears to her eyes, and she lay still for a minute as he paced over her.

"I'm not one of your stupid thugs in the Underground, Devil!" he shouted at her, straightening his jacket. "I was trained by the greatest martial arts organization in New York City!"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him indicate to a small tattoo on the inside of his wrist of what looked like an animal track of some kind, with three pointed toes. It didn't mean anything to her, other than he was really good at his craft, which was really bad for her.

Keeping up the stupid act, she swiped at his legs with her arm, making it look like she was trying to knock his feet out from under him. As she had expected, he stepped out of her way, and brought his foot down mercilessly on her arm. She yelled with the pain, and heard Raf yell, "Sasha!" She knew this must have been hard for him, watching her get beat up like this. She knew her heart would ache if their positions were reversed.

Swaine stepped off her arm, but no sooner had her brain registered the fact that her arm was free than it was overwhelmed again, this time as he kicked her in the ribs. The points of his shining business shoes were very sharp indeed.

"Did you honestly think scum like you could beat me? I'll be scraping you off the bottom of my shoes when this is over!"

_No, they'll be scraping me off the street as they haul your ass off to jail,_ she thought.

But she couldn't lay there and let herself be kicked to death. To do so would be to give up and accept defeat, and she just couldn't do that. Not after everything she had been through.

She raised her head, and saw that she was dangerously close to the edge of the water. It wouldn't take much for Swaine to force her over the side, where she would fall twenty feet into the ocean.

And Sasha had lived the last several years in bars and hotel rooms. She couldn't swim.

She needed to pull the ninja stuff now, or she would be one waterlogged streetrat. Then her eyes fell on a heavy coil of chain lying ten feet away, probably used to help secure the big ships to the side of the harbor. Though she had no idea how to use it as a weapon, it might help, since he would have to worry about fending that off as well as her attacks.

Ignoring her screaming ribs, she scrambled to her feet and raced for the chain. As soon as her hands clenched around it, she whirled around to find him running after her, probably intending to run her off the side, as she was standing right on the edge. In order to prevent that, she moved several feet inward, causing him to have to change his course a little bit. She noticed with a note of delight that there was a heavy metal ball at the end of the chain. If she timed this right...she crouched down, and waited for his next footfall, which wasn't a very long time. She swung the end with the metal ball around, and laughed gleefully when it wrapped around his legs and brought him crashing to the ground.

"Aha!"

He had fallen on his face and hands, but he rolled over before she reached him. When she did, she jumped onto his stomach and pressed the length of chain she held between her hands to his throat, cutting off the air flow instantly. He choked and clutched at her wrists with his hands, but she didn't let go and she didn't let up. Teeth gritted, she watched as he completely forgot his cool demeanor and turned into a fish, flopping and flailing around with no water.

How hard the mighty fall.

She didn't know if she would have killed him or just choked him until he lost consciousness. She didn't need to find out, because a strong hand descended on her shoulder and a familiar voice said gently, but firmly, "Sasha, stop. He's been caught now; it is finished. You've done your job."

With one final glare at her adversary, she let go of the chain and started to rise to her feet, the hand sliding under her arm to help her. She straightened up and met Leonardo's calm gaze, and he let go of her arm.

"Well done," he said, then turned his attentions to the man at his feet as Sasha moved past him to where Raf was standing a little ways behind them, waiting for her. His face darkened as she drew near, and he reached up to touch the wound on her head. His thumb came away bloody, and he swallowed. It looked hard for him.

"You okay?" he asked hoarsely, and she shrugged.

"I been worse. Stings a little, but I'll get over it."

"It's gonna hurt like shell in the mornin'," he said. "Ya got blood all down the side of your face."

Her cheek was sticky where she touched it, and she knew he was right.

"I'll fix when I get home."

"You should have Don look at it."

Sasha's eyes widened at that idea. She knew well what their brother thought of her: he might try to make it worse. But, instead of voicing her fears, she shrugged him off.

"Don't fuss about it. It's fine, really."

Before Raf could start an argument with her about her health and safety, Donny appeared at his side. He took one look at Sasha's face, and grimaced.

"He really banged you up, didn't he? How do you feel?"

"Fine," she grumbled, shoving her hands into the pocket of her sweatshirt.

"I should have a look at it when we get home," he said, tucking his Bo staff into his belt.

"Ya don't have to," she said, staring at the ground. She ground the ball of her left foot into the street, listening to the crunch of loose gravel beneath her shoe.

"I really should," Donny insisted, and he looked at his brother for help.

"That's what I been tellin' her," said Raf. "Sash, ya really should let Don get that cleaned up for ya."

"Well I..." she started to say, then Mikey and Leo joined them. All five of them looked around at the sounds of sirens approaching.

"That's the police. Let's go," said Leo. "They can take it from here. Good work, all of you."

He managed a semi-sort of smile, but his eyes were serious. All he wanted to do was get back home and get out of this mess. True, he had brought the guilty to justice, but it felt as though he had done it as a favor to Sasha LeQuinn, whose actions he didn't exactly approve of. She had still been involved in the Underground; she deserved to serve her time in prison for it. However, when he thought about it, so did A.J. She had killed someone, which in Leo's book was the most unforgiveable of crimes. And yet, he defended her. That man had deserved her vengeance for the horror he had inflicted on her, and so many other innocent lives, many of whom were too far gone to be saved. Everything had always been so black-and-white for Leo, but now he was beginning to discover that there were several gray areas, and some were a darker gray than others.

Red and blue lights flashed off the sides of the trucks and the boat, and they knew it was time to go. Leaving all the men on the scene tied together with rope they had found, they followed Leo, racing for the shadows, the safety of an alley, and most importantly, a manhole. New York City was full of all these, all of them a ninja's greatest salvation. They jumped up towards the rooftops, and Raf swung Sasha up onto his back until they were level, and then let her make use of her feet. As they jumped down into the closest alley, they heard Chief Carter shout through a megaphone, "This is the police! Put your hands in the air!" and they chuckled, because all the hands had been tied, which would make it impossible to put them in the air.

Raf pulled Sasha to him before she could follow Mikey down into the manhole. She lost her balance against the force of his pull, and fell against him with one foot on the ground and the other leg bent at the knee like a dancer. He clutched her back, his six fingers digging into the fabric of her clothes and her skin, and she grabbed his shoulders as his mouth covered hers and she moaned into his kiss.

They had made it.

* * *

_They were in her room, on her bed, tangled in each other's arms, scarcely breathing with the intensity of their face-sucking. Raf didn't quite remember how they had gotten there, and he didn't care. He remembered they had been out on the balcony of the new condo she and her mother had moved into (her bedroom had a _balcony!_), talking like they usually did. She had asked him if he would ever kiss her. He had decided that would be a good idea, and told her he would, but she had to promise to close her eyes. He still had not shown his face to her, and he couldn't kiss her with his Nightwatcher helmet on. He still didn't want to scare her. She had obeyed him, which surprised Raf a little, because she usually wasn't one to do what she was told. She was always a rebel that way, and she had proved it. He removed his helmet, set it on his knee and steadied it with his hand, using the other to gently cup her face as he leaned in and hesitantly touched his lips to hers. It was not for long, and when he pulled away, he saw her staring at him with a calm look in her blue eyes, which were looking a little more purple than usual. His first reaction would have been to get angry, because she hadn't done what he asked, but she wasn't screaming, wasn't calling him 'freak' or 'monster,' and she wasn't shrinking in revulsion from his touch._

_Instead, she leapt onto him and slammed her mouth into his, taking him by surprise as his lips mashed against his teeth, and even jumping a little when her tongue licked them, asking for an entrance. But it didn't take him long to catch on, and before he knew it, they had somehow ended up past the sliding glass doors of her bedroom, inside the condo, and fallen onto her bed, and he wasn't sure if they had broken apart that entire distance. Maybe they had, to come up for air. _

_Raf's mind and body were being flooded with sensations he had never felt before. His skin had suddenly become twice as sensitive as it normally was, and the rough fabric of his suit was almost unbearable, hot and confining. He was vaguely aware of a tightness somewhere deep in his chest, as though all the muscles there had contracted, leaving him close to breathless. He probably would have pushed her down flat on the bed and pinned her there if the door hadn't banged open right as the thought crossed his mind, and a male voice yelled, "What in the...?"_

_Raf and Rachel ripped apart as they both turned their heads to see who had interrupted them, and Rachel yelled back, "Get out of here, dude!"_

_A young teenaged boy was standing in the doorway, a look of horror on his pudgy face. He had curly black hair, a frame that was clearly spoiled and out of shape, brown skin and huge brown eyes with thick eyelashes. He couldn't have been more than fifteen, though his appearance was probably too childlike for his age. He stared at the two of them for a moment of scared and confused silence, and then he turned his head, not taking his eyes off them, and yelled, "D-Dad! Get your gun! Now!" down the hall._

_"Wait...huh? Gun?" Raf stammered, backing out of his place between Rachel's legs and climbing off the bed. He didn't know what to do. His usually lightening reflexes felt as sluggish as molasses, and his brain had frozen up. Not that he ever tried applying himself to think of ways to get out of sticky situations. It was always Leo or Donny that did that. He just sat and complained about their plans. Now he knew how they felt._

_Rachel, on the other hand, wasn't stripped for what to do at all. She leapt up from the bed and glared at the boy, her eyes hot, blue fire._

_"What's wrong with you, ya little creep!" she shouted. "You ever hear of a thing called privacy?"_

_"You...you're...what is that thing?" the boy shrieked, his vocals up in an octave that Raf wouldn't have been able to reach if he tried. _

_"_He_ is not a thing, and it's none of your damn business anyway!"Rachel answered furiously._

_"You're a freak! You and your mother, you're both freaks! I knew Dad should never have brought you here!"_

_"At least I still got my mamma!" she shot back. "Yo mamma ran off because she couldn't stand you or your spineless father!"_

_A nasty gleam appeared in his large eyes, and suddenly they didn't look so childlike and innocent anymore._

_"_My _father's spineless? Where's yours? Couldn't stand you either? Or did he have a good time with your mother and then leave?"_

_Rachel bared her teeth. Raf raised his hand and looked at the boy._

_"Hey, come on, man. That's outta line."_

_"My father was a monster, and I'm gonna tear him apart the first chance I get!" Rachel screamed, ignoring Raf and everything he said. He felt like he had suddenly become invisible as the two teens squared off. Raf guessed that this must have been the son of the man Rachel and her mother had moved in with, and was not surprised why the two were lashing out at each other. Neither one sounded like they had any good experience with families, and were resenting each other because they were now forced to live together, where they previously had had nothing to do with each other in their lives. He also guessed that the boy knew nothing of Rachel's father, and so his insults, while intentional, were far crueler than he meant them to be._

_Movement in the doorway caught his eye, and he had to think quickly and get out of the way, as it turned out to be a man in a pair of sweatpants and an undershirt holding up a pistol and firing straight at Raf. His armor was thick enough to deflect the bullets, but they would leave dents behind, once he pried them out, of course. _

_Two of the bullets shattered the sliding glass door behind him, and Rachel screamed. Her face was red, and tears were beginning to slide down her cheeks. _

_"Stop it! You don't even know who he is!"_

_"Who's who, Rachel?" asked a woman who appeared in the doorway, looking very tired. She had probably been woken up by the gunshots, and the boy's screaming. Raf guessed that she was Rachel's mother._

_"I found this monster in your daughter's room!" said the man. His gun was still raised, though he had stopped firing, and Raf hoped he had run out of bullets._

_"He's not a monster!" protested said daughter. "His name is Raphael, and he's my boyfriend!"_

_"Your _what_?" everyone echoed, their heads snapping to her. Raf wasted no time. He dashed for the broken glass door, snatched up his helmet from where he'd left it on the balcony, and jumped off, soaring over to land on the fire escape of the building across the street. As he made his way down to the alley where he had left his bike, he pondered how close that had been, and how he had almost been killed. True, it had happened before, but this time it hadn't been by any of the villains he and his brothers had had to take down. This time, it had been by one of the very civilians they risked everything to protect. Now he knew why Leo and Master Splinter had warned him not to get involved with the humans. They would never see what was truly going on, and they never understood that sometimes, the things that were different from them were not always threats._

_It was not a comforting thought, but he wasn't able to shake it for the rest of the night, like he usually could with most of things that bothered him. _

* * *

_He did return to Rachel after that incident, but the meeting was very awkward, though she apologized profusely for the actions of her 'roommates' as she called them. She didn't need to, of course; it was not her fault, but it was dangerous situation they were in. Perhaps that was why he came back, and then stuck around for as long as he did. A sensible turtle probably would have realized the danger their relationship put them in, and ended it, for the safety of the both of them. But Raf loved thrills, and danger was the thing that attracted him most. Rachel herself loved the idea of doing things that would disgust or even terrify her mother's new boyfriend, or at least gain his disapproval, and so they continued to see each other. However, Raf found the spark that had once been so strong for her fizzling out, and his visits began to dwindle in number. He noticed it in her as well; she was losing her interest in him, and when a cute little redhead appeared in their lives and Raf discovered where his affections were beginning to lean, he decided it was time to end it. They had been together long enough. It was another one of those fleeting romances that often occur in the teenaged years, when one is not fortunate enough to meet their first, and final, love._

**And here's the end of Rachel and Raf's story. Kind of sad, but things don't always work out, do they? **

**How did you guys like the twists I threw into Swaine's character? No, he's not the Shredder, in case that freaked anyone out. He's just an ex-member of the Foot who never happened to run into the turtles. I know I don't develop my bad guys as much as I could, but they're not really the main conflicts of the stories anyway. That is going to change in the next story, I promise you. I'm already working on my villain, so he's going to have much more of a personality than the others. Hope you guys enjoyed, and please review. I won't update until I have at least four or five reviews, so if you want to know Sasha's fate, leave your opinions and comments!**


	16. Epilogue: Raf's Question

**Hey everyone! I'm baaaaaaack! Well, sort of. Back long enough to get this final chapter uploaded, FINALLY. It's taken way too long to finish this story: four months is a ridiculous time to write even a page or so. But here it is, at long last, so enjoy, and thank you to everyone who has stuck by me and kept on reading! Your patience and dedication means so much!**

Sasha's fingers were twitching as Donny carefully patted her wounds with an alcohol pad. She was sitting on the table in his lab, her head tilted back and a light shining directly into her eyes as the turtle worked. He towered over her, which was already making her uncomfortable, she didn't like sitting still for very long, and she hated people messing around with her face. She had never liked people's hands near her face, even before she had joined the Underground and learned that a hand to the face meant a punch or a slap, or some other sort of injury. And though Donny's hands were gentle, the sting from the alcohol was making her nervous. Raf stood a little ways away. He had promised he would stay in the room with her, but he wouldn't get in his brother's way. They had informed Master Splinter of the events as they had passed, and of the situation that they were now in: Leo himself describing Sasha's courage (though his tone could have easily implied stupidity) in taking on Swaine, though his skill of the martial arts was far beyond hers, as they had seen, and the injuries she suffered because of it. The old rat nodded deeply and patted Sasha's hand, signaling that Donny could take her into his lab and get her patched up. Mikey made a mad dash for the TV, and Leo had gone to the bathroom to clean up. A.J. had gone home for the night, and it was too late to call her and tell her what had happened, because she was probably asleep by now. Raf watched his brother, the wheels in his head reeling. He had seen her use that chain down on the docks to defeat Swaine, or at least hold him long enough for them to come over and finish the job. Maybe she'd had some experience with that type of weapon before in the Underground, maybe not, but that wasn't really the point. It had gotten him thinking: that maybe there could be another reason to train her in ninjitsu, other than to teach her respect, strength, and self-discipline. It would definitely take a little while to accomplish, and who knows how his family would react, but it would give her something to do with herself, a sense of purpose now that she had cleared her name, and had proved the turtles and their father that she was not a murderer. Her only crimes had been immaturity, confusion, and misdirection.

Not unlike Raf himself before A.J. had come into his life.

"Could you pull up your shirt for me, please? I want to make sure none of your ribs are broken," Donny was saying. Sasha looked over at Raf, as if asking his permission.

"It's okay, Sash. He ain't gonna bite 'cha," he said with a smirk. She sneered at him and pulled up her wife-beater to expose her skinny ribcage, and the ugly bruise that was beginning to form there. There was a little blood as well, and Raf's lips threatened to curl into a snarl. He had seen the kick, but he always forgot that it hurt the humans far more than it would him, since he had that hard plastron to protect him. Donny cleaned that as well, but decided that the cut wasn't deep enough to require a bandage, and let her go when he was done.

"So," she said when they were outside the lab. "Wanna go upstairs?"

She slid her hand into his, and looked at him with her pale eyes, but this time, there was no ice in her gaze. Just a warm, gentle anticipation. He knew what she was after, but for some reason, he shook his head.

"Nah, not tonight," he said, and the corners of her mouth turned down in a pout. "Seein' those bruises on ya makes me wanna kill somethin'."

"I can keep my shirt on," she replied.

"We really shouldn't; I don't wanna hurt ya any more than ya are."

"You can be careful, can't 'cha?"

Raf was liking the idea, but her persistence surprised him. After the beating she had taken, he should have thought that she would have absolutely no energy left, and all she would want to do was sleep. Yet she stood strongly on her feet, eyes bright and wide awake, wanting more besides.

"S'ppose I could," he said slowly, looking up at the ceiling, then back at her, a grin creeping across his face, and she gave him her trademark half-smile, her eyes quickly igniting at his spark of interest, which she fiercely intended to fan into a flame. "But you'll have to catch me if ya want it!" he finished triumphantly, and took off for the stairs.

"Hey!" she yelled, and gave chase, not to be robbed of her prize.

* * *

"Ya know, he may not get convicted," said Raf afterwards, scratching the material of her wife-beater with the tips of his fingers. "Those fancy rich bozos always got really good lawyers; he might get off, somehow. I dunno how they do it, but they do."

"Mmmm, don't care," she muttered sleepily. "As long as my name ain't on it, I'm good. 'Sides, with the cops no longer searchin' for me, Swaine'll have to find some other bitch to frame."

He had to nod at that. She had a point.

"So, what are ya gonna do now? The Underground no longer exists, so ya can't go back there. Ya ain't got nobody here in New York, do ya?"

"Nope. I suppose I should try and at least get a high school diploma, since I never went. I got some money saved up, I could take classes after the summer's over. It's too late to sign up now. I'd need to get another job, though."

"You're really thinkin' of turnin' your life around, ain't 'cha?"

"S'ppose that could be thanks to you, ain't it?"

"Leo and Splinter always say there's more to life than throwin' punches. And they're right. There's a lot more."

She grinned.

"I could stay here, if you wouldn't mind."

"Ya know I'd love it, darlin', but Leo and Splinter won't be too keen on the idea."

She made an annoyed noise, her good mood suddenly evaporating, and she rolled over.

"'S not like there's anythin' I can do about it," he protested, pulling on her hip to try and roll her back over. "You know Splinter and Leo; they're so high and mighty. They think they're always right, and there's no swayin' 'em. If they say no...I dunno."

"I'm fucked," she grumbled.

"It ain't over," he pressed. "They haven't thrown ya out yet. I'll do whatever it takes to get them to let ya stay. Now that I've got ya here, I ain't gonna let them get rid of ya without a fight!"

She was touched by his dedication, and rolled over on her back. She had to laugh, though, at his little speech. Though he was pretty gruff on the outside, she knew now that deep down he was a very sweet turtle.

"Thanks, Raf. I really appreciate the help, I really do, but maybe I should stick up for myself, huh? Not that I don't believe that you can convince them on your own, I bet ya could, and they'd probably believe you better than me, but since ya helped me start standin' on my own two feet now, I gotta prove that I can do it without your help now. No offense, or anythin'."

"Nah, I guess not, and maybe you're right, Sash. It couldn't hurt ya, in any case. And hey, as your teacher, it's my job to make sure ya learn your lessons." He propped himself up on one elbow and smugly looked down at her.

"Geez, ya gotta put it that way, don't 'cha?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Well, fine then."

"Yeah? That's all ya gotta say?"

"I ain't got nothin' else. Ya know I can't win with ya."

"Now you're getting' the picture. I figgered you'd come around eventually."

"Shaddup."

* * *

It took a few days for Sasha to work up the courage. The things she needed to get off her chest had been piling onto her, and the stress to keep them all in was building. Soon, it would get to be too much, and who knew what would happen then. She now understood what happened when you withdrew inside yourself. It was time to confess, to the head of the household, and to herself.

She took a deep breath. This was not going to be easy, but life was full of challenges and hard trials, and the only way you could ever overcome them was by facing them. So, knowing that she would have to leave all her pride and dignity on the doorstep, she knocked on the door and poked her head in.

"Uhhh, Master Splinter, sir?"

He was sitting crosslegged on the floor behind a low table, his eyes closed, looking as though he was deep in meditation. Deciding that perhaps she had better wait for another time, she had almost turned around when his voice stopped her.

"Enter."

The command was sharp, and not to be disobeyed. She stepped into the room, and Splinter opened his eyes.

"What is it, my child? The danger has passed, yet your mind is still troubled."

She was struck both by wonder and amazement that he could so keenly detect her feelings, but she knew it was best not to dwell on it right now. She had come to him with another purpose in mind.

"Um, yeah it, actually. I was hopin' I could talk to ya about somethin'. There's some things I gotta tell ya."

"Is that so?" His eyes were piercing, making her feel very vulnerable. "Come in then, my dear." His gaze softened a little, and the faintest of smiles curled his lips. "When you are addressing an elder, it is important you show them the proper respect."

He raised his eyebrows expectantly at her, and then she realized what she was doing wrong.

"Oh yeah. Right," she muttered, kneeling down and bowing her head. The old rat copied this second gesture.

"Now, what do you wish to consult me about?"

Though she had rehearsed this several times in her head, Sasha still found her tongue stiff and cold, and she stumbled around her words.

"I...look, I...you guys saved my life, and more than once. Twice, three times, I don't remember exactly. That really ain't the point anyway. The point is, if it weren't for you and your sons, I'd be dead now, for a crime I didn't commit. And, for that, I owe ya my life."

She paused for a moment, to see how the old rat would react to her statement: if he would protest or try to sway her. He did not. Instead, he continued to stare calmly at her. He knew she had more to say.

"Street trash like me don't deserve kindness like yours. For all the things I've done, I probably deserve to be rottin' in jail for the rest of my life. But you didn't think so. No one asked Raf to spring me from jail that night, and no one asked ya to shelter me and take me in and all that stuff. And I didn't exactly thank ya for it. But, even after all that, ya still defended my honor and ya didn't throw me out on the streets, even after I was accused of killin' that guy. I'll never be able to pay ya back for that."

Another pause, another breath. _Somehow_, she was going to get her point across.

"You gave me a second chance to make myself a better person. I saw myself as beyond all hope, but your son Raf proved me wrong. I heard once that there is hope even for those who are the furthest lost, as long as they have someone who believes in them. For the longest time, the only person I had to believe in was myself, but Raf changed that. He believed in me, and he didn't give up on me, and now he's handed me the chance to become someone else, hopefully someone better. I owe him, your family, you, so much..."

She gasped as the tears welled up in her eyes, and she tried to catch her breath. It would do no good to cry in front of Master Splinter, but she couldn't stop herself and within seconds, her cheeks were drenched.

Splinter rose from behind the table and came to sit beside her, laying a paw on her shoulder.

"Sorry," she grumbled, rubbing her face. "I know I shouldn't, but I don't believe this."

"Believe what, my child?"

"I'm cryin'. I ain't cried in five years, at least not like this. Maybe once or twice, in that time."

"Then you must cry, my dear," he said. "To hold your emotions within you is not healthy. You must have some way of releasing your pain, for I have seen firsthand the destruction anger and rage can wreck upon your heart. The tears will help heal yours."

She continued to sob, and Master Splinter slid an arm around her shoulders and let her, whispering softly, "There, there, go on. You need not feel embarrassed. There is no one to judge you here."

It wasn't long before she was able to speak again.

"Master Splinter, sir, I love your son!" she gasped out. "I know that sounds really weird, and ya may not like it, but I just wanted you to know that. He's given me everything I could ever want, and I want to do the same for him, though I don't deserve it, but I wanna give it a shot. I know ya don't like me very much, but at least ya know the truth about me and him."

"I do not deny that I disapproved of you when we first met. But hate is a strong word, and there are only a few people who truly deserve my hatred. Trust me, my dear, you are not one of them. Even when you attacked my family without mercy or reason and disrespected our hospitality, I could not hate you. You are young still; it is not too late to change your life. That is what Raphael believed, and he forced us all to eat our words, including myself. I confess, my dear, I feared there was little hope for you. However, I believe in my sons, and all they do, and since they believed in you, then so do I."

He paused to allow her to catch her breath, so she could hear him better. She brought her head up off his shoulder and turned to face him, and he looked straight into her eyes.

"The changes Raphael has brought about in you are nothing short of amazing, but they are not attributed to Raphael alone. The real reason you have become who you are today lies in your own understanding of yourself and in your desire to change that. No matter what anyone tells you or what you are handed, you decide your own future, and you had decided that your skills were better spent protecting others instead of harming them. Though I may be older and have more experience with this life, there are some things that I do not see, and you and Raphael both saw something in yourself that I did not. You have been severely misjudged by myself and by my family as well, and I humbly ask for your forgiveness."

Sasha jumped in surprise, and held her hands up.

"Hey, don't ask my forgiveness! I'm the one who needs forgivin'."

"Then perhaps we all were in error, and no one is truly to blame. Our judgments can make fools of us all," said Splinter kindly. He removed his hand from her shoulders and laid it on her cheek. Sasha had waited to be repulsed by his touch, but now, she found she wasn't in the slightest. "If you say you love Raphael, then it is not my place to say otherwise. I will always urge you to follow your heart, and if your hearts lead you to each other, then so be it, and my deepest wishes for your happiness." He did not say it out loud, but he would not mind if she joined their family, maybe someday in the future.

"So, I have your blessin', then?"

He smiled.

"Yes, my dear. And thank you."

"Thank _you_, for everythin'."

"You are most welcome. Again, you have reminded us that we are not all-knowing, and that we must be humble in our mistakes. As I have often told my sons: you are never too old to learn, and sometimes the students must instruct their teacher. You have taught us all a very valuable lesson, Miss LeQuinn. My thanks is yours."

He rose to his feet, and she did the same. Splinter folded his hands inside the sleeves in front of him and bowed to her, and she, catching on quickly, copied him. Then, understanding that this was a dismissal, she headed for the door. Unknown to her, the door was not closed all the way, and all four turtles and A.J. were crouching at the door, listening in and watching. Now that they saw her approaching, they scattered in all directions: Mikey to the TV, Leo, A.J., and Donny to the kitchen table, and Raf about two steps backwards. They had hoped to make it look like they had not been doing what they had actually been doing, but Sasha was not fooled, and neither was Splinter, as he shot Raf a stern look through the open door. Raf let Sasha pass him, and then slid into the room himself. He had a question to ask his master, something that had been nagging at the back of his mind ever since Sasha had mentioned it the first night they had made love.

"It is not polite to eavesdrop on others' conversations, Raphael," his father scolded gently. "I would trust you boys and A.J. to know better than that."

"Sorry, Master Splinter," Raf said with a guilty laugh. "I'll be sure they get the message."

"Very good. Now, what can I do for you my son?"

"Uh, I had a question, actually. Ya know, me and Sash've got this thing goin' now, and I was just wonderin': can we have kids? I mean, we're kinda mutants and all, would it work?"

"Why do you ask this, Raphael? Are you planning on raising a family of your own?"

"No!" said Raf quickly. "I mean, I dunno. I think it'd be kinda neat to be a father, but I don't want any _now._ Just, Sasha asked once if I could get her, ya know, pregnant, and I didn't know. I never thought about it."

"We've never had reason to consider it before now, that is true," Splinter answered thoughtfully. "I am not the best to consult in this matter, because of my limited knowledge of the sciences. Your brother Donatello would be more helpful, I imagine, but I believe that it is very likely that you cannot. I cannot say for certain, but I believe that the mutagen we were exposed to would have rendered it impossible. I am sorry if this was not the answer you were hoping for, my son," he said at Raf's slightly crestfallen face.

"It's fine," the red-masked turtle replied, waving his hand. "Thanks, though."

He bowed to the old rat, and then left the room. _At least we won't haveta worry about bein' careful,_ he thought.

"What'd he say?" Sasha asked when he reappeared.

"He said we can't," said Raf, and the reactions were varied. Ever since Sasha had brought up the possibility of the turtles getting them pregnant, the girls had decided they best check and see if at first, it was even possible, and then go from there. Raf had suggested that Master Splinter be the first person they go to, and probably have Donny go from there.

Sasha, on the one hand, was relieved. She was just getting her life back on track. The last thing she wanted to worry about was supporting a child. She was sure she wouldn't mind having kids someday, but certainly not right now. She was in no shape to be a mother now.

Donny resumed helping A.J. with her trigonometry homework, but his mind was not on the theorems. To say he was completely crushed would not have been true, but he was disappointed. It was part of his longing to live a normal life, but he had recently begun to wish he could meet a pretty girl like his brothers, fall in love and have children of his own. After seeing the delight and pride he and his brothers brought Master Splinter daily, he had been wanting to know that kind of happiness as well. And, seeing his brothers get A.J. and Sasha, the hope that there might be one out there for him as well was only encouraged.

Mikey turned back to the television. Kids were not something he ever thought about. He couldn't see himself in that kind of position: as a father. Sure, it would be fun to have a little dude to go skateboarding with, watch cartoons with and even spar with when he got older, but as of right now, Mikey wanted to enjoy being a kid himself.

As for Leo, he wasn't sure what to make of the news. As the only brother other than Raf to have experience even related to this issue, it was far more real to him. Perhaps it was a good thing that they couldn't have children right now, because, while they were growing up, they were not at all mature enough to be considering families of their own yet. Even he couldn't imagine himself being able to care for and support a child, but what about later, assuming A.J. was still around? There wasn't anything to suggest that she would leave a couple of years down the road, as she had told them several times that even if things didn't work out between her and Leo, she would still come back and see them, because they treated her like family more than her own did. She had told him maybe once or twice that she had always wanted a family of her own: a husband and children, and Leo had secretly been considering it ever since they had started sleeping together. Now, however, with this news, he had to admit he felt a bit disappointed that he could not give A.J. something she wanted, and judging by the look on her face, she wasn't taking it too well, either.

Actually, if there was anyone who was crushed in that room, it was A.J. She had closed her eyes and let her shoulders slump as her whole body folded over her textbook, and she couldn't meet Leo's eyes. Inside, though it seemed a little foolish, she had been fantasizing about having a family with Leo, and maybe moving down here and living with him in the lair. The place certainly could use a woman's touch, and more than just her coming down every other day and telling them to clean the place up. She would have thought cleanliness and order would have been skills they were required to have as followers of the ancient ninjutsu ways, but maybe that was just her wistful thinking and it was the same with all teenaged boys. She knew Master Splinter would be pleased to have grandchildren, and she believed Leo himself would make a wonderful father. Now, all those dreams were shattered to pieces right before her eyes, but she swallowed, raised her head, and put her hand on Leo's. Just because they couldn't have children together didn't mean that she was going to leave him, and she made that very clear in her green eyes when they met his chocolate ones. His thumb stroked her fingers as they stared at each other. He looked slightly fearful, but at no harsh words or angry looks from her, he calmed somewhat. They could discuss the more private and personal details later, but right now they turned back to the textbook of formulas and other incomprehensible nonsense as Donny did his best to explain it to her and Leo did his best to help her understand it, pointing out little calculation mistakes for which she was famous. She'd probably fail the whole damn semester because of her poor calculations: simple things like adding, subtracting, multiplication and division, and positives and negatives.

She hated math.

As for Raf, he was pretty disappointed as well. As he had told Master Splinter, it would be pretty cool to be a father; to have a son or a daughter that he could train and take care of like Master Splinter had for him and his brothers, someone who could take his place defending the city when he could no longer put one foot in front of the other. However, with what his father had told him, perhaps it was better that way. Who knows what his kids would turn out to be, especially if Sasha was the mother. They weren't even the same species, for crying out loud. True, he was more human than a regular turtle, but he wasn't completely human, either. And he was no science whiz like his brother, but even he knew that logically, the chances of them being able to produce something living with the girls were slim to none. He and Sasha had been together through a lot, but they were nowhere close to being ready to call it a permanent relationship, even if they were perfect for each other.

Still, what was done was done, and the only thing left to do was move on. As Leo had often instructed his brothers when he led the training sessions, one needed to be flexible, and learn to flow with change. Still, there were some changes Raf was more willing to flow with, like Sasha for example.

* * *

A couple of weeks later, Raf and Leo sat alone at the table together. A.J. was not over, and Mikey and Donny had gone to bed. There had been a bit of a lull in the conversation, and then Leo asked, "Where's Sasha?" as he had not seen her all night, and she and Raf had been behaving very mysteriously over the past few weeks, disappearing for hours on the nights Leo gave them off, and coming back very late in the morning, after everyone had gone to bed. Leo had confronted them once about it, but Raf had told him that it was for Sasha: part of her character improvement, and wouldn't say anymore on the subject. Leo had accepted this answer, though he didn't like it, and deciding that Raf was in charge of this operation, it would be better if he stayed out of it. He trusted Raf to know what he was doing, and did not encroach any more on their time together. Part of being a family was letting the others have their privacy. So he had left them alone for a little while, deciding that he'd try again when they were more willing to speak to him, like maybe right now.

"She's out," Raf replied, and Leo shrugged. She was no longer considered a danger to decent society, and she had proved herself worthy of their trust, so he did not reprimand his brother for lack of discipline. Instead, he decided to try another tactic, and discuss a slightly different topic considering her.

"So she's got her name cleared, right?" he asked, and when Raf nodded, and when Raf nodded, he continued. "Has she told you what she plans to do now?"

"She wants to stay here, if you and Master Splinter will allow it. Those are her words, by the way. I don't care if you approved or not."

Leo looked thoughtful for a moment. True, he had been against bringing her into their home from the beginning, and what she had done to A.J. would not be easily forgiven in his eyes, but her behavior over the past month or so had greatly changed his view of her character, making him reconsider his previous judgments. And, Master Splinter had forgiven her, and A.J. certainly held no grudge. Two of the greatest influences in his life had made their decisions, and he would have to take them into account when he made his own. Plus, Raf had said he loved her, and he had heard that night that Sasha loved him right back. That was not something you could overlook, either.

"Well, if she has nowhere else to go," he began, and a grateful look came into his brother's eyes. He had never seen him look that way before. "But only if you promise to keep her in line the way you have been."

"Oh, ya don't have to worry about that, bro," said Raf with a devious gleam in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth turned up in a sly smile. Leo was sure it had something to do with whatever they had been working on over the past couple of weeks.

"Really, now?" he said, raising an eyeridge. "Dare I ask exactly _what_ you have planned for her?"

"Ya may indeed," Raf said, his grin widening. "Remember that old bike I used to have?"

**

* * *

**

The late night cashier was bound and gagged in the corner of a Lee's Liquor Store where he worked at while the two burglars swiped all the cash he had in his drawer. He was mulling over what he was going to tell his boss the next morning more than how he was going to get out of there, even though the robbers weren't showing any interest in anything other than the money. None of the merchandise was stolen and no one was hurt, and he had pressed the silent alarm to alert the police when they had first entered the store brandishing guns and demanding he step away from the register. However, it looked like they were going to get away with the money.

If he could have seen what happened once they left the store, he would have thought very differently.

As soon as the two crooks threw their spoils into their escape van and started it up, the headlights illuminated an armored figure in a motorcycle blocking their way out of the alley. When the lights came on, it revved the engine, which had been on a low rumble that had miraculously escaped their notice. The headlights switched on from a helmet they recognized well, but had thought was no longer a threat to them.

"Nice night for a chase, ain't it boys?" it called over the noise, though it was very clear there would be no chasing tonight. They were already cornered.

The terrified men only had time to screech, "It's the Nightwatcher!" before they received the soundest beating of their lives, having never tangled with the Nightwatcher before. They just knew the face, the name, and the reputation.

"Oh yeah, say it loud, say it proud!" Sasha smirked to herself as she perched on top of the liquor store and watched the cops take the would-be thieves away and return the stolen cash to the employee, now freed from his bonds. She raised her head, looking down the street, bottling down wild laughter that came with pure joy and pride that threatened to burst from her chest.

"The Nightwatcher's back in town!"

**Heh heh, surprise! Didn't see that one coming, did ya? Or if you did, congrats. I thought it would be fun to sort of resurrect the Nightwatcher, since the figure was so cool in the movie. And Sasha needed something to do, so she wouldn't feel so useless hanging around watching TV. Hope y'all like the way I wrapped this little yarn up, because I sure had fun writing it.**

**On a final note, I'd like to take a moment to inform you all that, right now, my future at looks very unclear. I did have a few more stories in the works, mostly concerning this trilogy and beyond, and it's kind of stupid to have a trilogy with only two stories in it, but I feel myself losing my drive to finish them. I'm burning out, I guess you could say. Since my senior year of high school, this saga has been the only story in my head, and as we all know, too much of something is never good. I do hope to return to it someday, because I would hate to leave everyone hanging and the journey unfinished, but I've got a great original story I'm working on right now, so I don't know when I will return. I'll see if I can work on it on and off over the summer, and we'll see if I get something posted by the fall or so. Sorry for any disappointments, but as all writers know, we are slaves to our imaginations, and we can only write what our creative energies allow us to. Again, thank you for reading my stories and see you all again someday!**


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